Locked Away
by EverythingAtOnce
Summary: She knew that what had happened last night wasn't a dream, yet her sisters seemed to have their memory replaced with a different memory. A memory of what should've normally happened, but never did.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I know this is a bit different compared to my other writing - it's actually a fantasy-type of story! I've always loved fantasy and have always wanted to write stories like this...but for some odd reason I kind of just stuck with writing real-world type of stories. I always read stories like this though, and still do. (And for those wondering about my other story I've been working on for ages and haven't updated, I'll explain in my profile some stuff that's been going on...)**

 **My first story I ever posted actually was a fantasy-type of story. But I took it down after a week. :P I may actually start working up on that one, though.**

 **So anyways, this is generally a story idea I began writing back in 2012-2013, I can't remember which year, and I finally came back to it. This is a newly drafted version from what I wrote back then because...oh gosh...my writing was terrible then! Like, I should probably go through my older stories and do some major editing...'cause it's just...ewww...yeah. I didn't even want to bother to try and edit the other "chapter 1" I had written for this because it just...needs to get deleted.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy this first chapter! :D**

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She stared blankly at the dark, stoned floor where the cool air slithered around, trying to climb up her skin. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, finding it hard to breathe calmly through her nose without feeling like she would choke on her own throat. Her face felt tight where her tears had streaked down her cheeks, drawing dry lines of broken pathways of what used to be small streams of salt water.

As her memory of the event flash across her mind like an old film projector speeding through its recorded images, she clamps her hand over her mouth to hold back the sobs that push to break free of her hand, and new tears began to blur her vision as her eyes heat up like they were on fire. _What was going to happen next? What were they going to do to her?_ Her right hand that was draped across her stomach clenched tightly onto her black dress as she brought her legs closer to her chest, in hopes to make herself as small as possible. Never has she ever felt this anxious in her entire life, and the cool air that kept slipping down her back like it were a slide on a playground was only making her feel sick to her stomach.

There was so much blood…spilling out of her sister's body. And there was nothing she could do as she stood there, staring in horror, choking on her own screams as she watched a figure loom over her sister and crouch down with a jagged, sharp smile. She didn't have much time to react after that because before she knew it, something that felt like a gun had pressed harshly against the side of her neck as someone had stabilized the other side of her neck with a firm hand and shot something sharp, like a needle, into her bloodstreams. She tried to fight against whoever had grabbed her, but before she could turn around to see who had attacked her, her assailant had already wrapped a ready arm around her stomach, pinning her arms to her sides.

"Stop fiddling around with that and get the other girl!" a boy's voice had shouted from behind her—her assailant—and before she knew it, a black blur ran towards her sister's body and the other black figure with the teeth who had been crouching beside her had vanished, and time slowed to freeze with her memory as everything blacked out, falling out of reach from her vision.

As far as she knew, today was going as normal as any other day had gone, and it was supposed to end as normal as any other night had gone, with the exceptions of a little fun at the end of the day. She was out on a dinner date with her sisters—and just her sisters. It was supposed to be a fun night out at some fancy restaurant they had never tried before, and then they would all spend the night in their small living room in their apartment and have a "sleepover." _Nothing harmful._ Why did this happen? This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to end with one of her sisters, probably dead from bleeding out an ocean of blood, while the other, probably standing outside the restaurant, having already called the police, worried sick with Fear there to be the only thing that could comfort her.

And then there was herself.

Poor Brittany Miller locked away in a dark, old, musty stone cell with old, crimson-stained bars, keeping her in this dark, murky room that smelled of decaying bodies. People probably _have_ died in this cell. She already felt like she was suffocating from the awful smell (and since her nose wasn't allowing her to breathe properly on its own, she had to breathe in the smell through her mouth and taste the bitter smell which was enough to make her want to cry even more), and her neck was sore from where her attacker had given her a shot and injected that wretched liquid into her veins. She was scared out of her mind, and she had never wished so _badly_ for the reality around her to be a dream. Normally she liked to tough things out and just go with it—but this? This was unacceptable. Her tongue felt tingly and she hoped she wouldn't vomit herself because if she did, she truly would die from suffocation—and it would be from the smell of the contents that came from _her_ _own body_. It'd be like she had killed herself, and that was not okay because she didn't want to _die._ And she hoped her sisters were alright. Especially Jeanette.

Although with what she saw…well…it almost seemed impossible for her sister to still be alive by now. And that thought alone was enough to make her chest tighten and start a fire within her eyes, melting them till there were no more tears to shed.

Just dumping her in this awful place was basically adding a rotten cherry on top to the poisoned dessert she had to swallow and accept about the calamities with her sisters. She probably would get dehydrated from the waterfall of tears she's been shedding, and sadly there wasn't anything she could do to make herself stop—turn off the water, block it off, nothing—would help her stop _crying._ She felt so vulnerable and weak with how pathetic she felt and must've looked—red eyes, distraught face, one high heal broken, dress slightly crinkled…

Moreover, the fact that she had no idea what was to become of _her_ self… How was she going to make it through all of this, again? For some odd reason, she couldn't help but feel like she knew for a fact that there was no way this would be easy, and that this wouldn't be the end of what had just happened. She wasn't exactly scared for her life, for she found it pointless for her assailant to have taken her here to this cell alive when they most likely could've easily killed her then and there when they had their hands around her neck…but then maybe whoever had taken her had different plans for her death. She's seen plenty of those FBI-police TV shows to get the idea that there are many types of killers out there with their daily rituals they follow through before they kill their victim.

And thinking about that wasn't helping her situation at all. Brittany coughed out a congested, weak, sad laugh. _Great_. Just when she was beginning to find a small scrap of comfort, it quickly dissolves into dust. Rubbing her arms, she then wipes at her eyes, her trapped mind turning back to think about her sisters. And that's when she realizes: _Eleanor._ Her youngest sister—what if she's in danger? She's heard plenty of things about what's actually out there…and they're not completely human. There's so many stories she used to hear in the halls from her high school…and they all sounded surreal. It was all fantasy-talk to her because creatures like that just don't exist.

As far as she's concerned, nothing has ever happened to anyone she knows or anyone that lives around her. If there were so many dangerous _things_ out there, then how come nothing's ever happened? No sign of abnormal bites on the neck, or odd sightings of giant wolves, or mysterious deaths that just don't match the average murder and evidence given?

But then she remembers those gleaming sharp teeth she had seen, and the odd slump and movement of the figure that had been looming over her sister's bleeding body… As the image sinks in, filling her with a new sense of fear, she tries to resist feeling the churn of her stomach as she aggressively wipes at her eyes. She needed to get out of here. Eleanor was still out there, and there was no way she would let Fear and eventually Sorrow move in and take hers and Jeanette's places. And what if Eleanor was in danger? She had to do _something._

As Brittany struggles to get to her feet, her neck still sore and her veins still buzzing with whatever had been injected into her, she finally stands up, her head swaying a little as she staggers over to the bars. Scrunching her nose at the sight of the rusting bars, not wanting to touch them, she heaves out a sigh as a disgusted frown etches across her face and a hesitant hand reaches out to gently push against the cell door. It moves a little, and she pushes a little more on the heavy bars as they heavily swing open for her.

Steadying her breathing the best she can, she slips her heels off and steps out of her prison, slowly walking along the cold stone floor. The place appears like it's been abandoned for centuries, and it almost seems ancient. There are broken large chains in some cells, and the smell seems to get worse as she ventures further along the pathway. She can hardly breathe the thick air, and just as she's thinking about what could've possibly been going on in this prison place, she freezes up.

The air around her had suddenly gotten cooler, and she can't shake this eerie feeling that she's being watched. Swallowing, she slowly looks behind her, her heart skipping a beat at the sight: _Nothing._ Sighing with relief, she begins to pace herself forward while still looking behind her, beginning to break out in a run—

"Oof—" she gasps, as she suddenly collides with something hard—something warm. She felt like she had just touched a pan that had come out of the oven and was beginning to cool down.

Jumping back, Brittany looks up to lock eyes with a pair of sky blue eyes—however there's something strange with these eyes. Just around the pupil, there's a hint of gold threatening to spill out and fill in the blue. The gold keeps pumping out yet retracting, almost as if they were fighting to fill the blue in his eyes, yet at the same something was fighting to keep the gold at bay. The boy suddenly shakes his head abruptly and steps away from her, muttering something about how someone needed to give her the shot now…

 _Wait, what?!_ She quickly steps away from the boy with a look of horror when she feels a needle on the side of her neck.

"Get her feet," the voice behind her grunts as she feels her body suddenly become limp.

As her eyes get immensely heavy, feeling much like heavy weights were attached to them, she fights to keep her eyes open and on the boy in front of her as he steps away, back within the shadows and before she knows it, her world has become pitch black.

Her head is pulsing and throbbing with pain. It's like her mind is fighting something off, but she doesn't quite know why—it feels like she's under a lot of stress and her head is about to explode. Contorting her face, she slowly opens her eyes to find the familiar ceiling of her bedroom. Exhaling deeply, she frowns in confusion and sits up quickly, her head spinning as she gets out of bed way too fast, running into her doorframe as she tries to exit her room.

" _Ouch!"_ she huffs as she rubs her head she had hit against the doorframe.

"Are you okay?" Eleanor's voice calls from the kitchen.

"Um, yeah…" Brittany responds weakly, more confused than ever. Glancing in the direction to where her two sister's bedrooms are, she slowly begins to walk along the small hallway to where the kitchen and small living room connected. As she gets in close range, she begins, "Eleanor, how did I…" but she cuts herself short when she spots both of her sisters sitting at the small dining table, just like they normally would on any other normal day.

"Morning, Brittany," Jeanette grins from behind a fantasy book she's been reading for the past few days, causing Brittany's heart just about to stop.

"Oh my gosh…" Standing there with her mouth gaping, a small smile lifts Brittany's lips as she runs towards her younger sister and crashes into her with a big hug. She felt like she had just crossed the finish line to a marathon. She was so _relieved._ "How are you—are you feeling fine? Oh, my gosh I thought you were dead—!"

"Um, I love you, too," Jeanette lightly laughs as she pats Brittany's arm.

"—I don't know how you're well and here, but whatever the doctors did they did a pretty darn good job—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—what are you talking about, Brittany?" Eleanor speaks up, a funny grin on her face as she stares at Brittany with curious brown eyes.

When Brittany finally releases Jeanette, she looks to Eleanor with a mirroring look. "Oh, well, you weren't exactly there, but Jeanette got severely injured last night…"

"What?!" Eleanor's confused smile widens.

"I did?" Jeanette speaks up with a bewildered look.

"Yeah…you should know this…" Brittany slowly says, beginning to feel slightly awkward. Neither of them remember or know what happened last night? It wasn't a dream though…or was it?

Eleanor slowly shakes her head. "Um, I think you must've had a pretty hectic dream…"

"Yeah…" Jeanette agrees. "Are you feeling alright?" she then asks, putting a bookmark in her book and setting it down on the tabletop.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Brittany nods her head. They were clueless… "Yeah, um, heh," she lightly laughs. "Yeah—you're right. It was just a…a dream," she grins. _But it felt so real…_

"Alright…it must've been a pretty exciting dream for you to believe it like this," Jeanette comments. "What was the dream about?"

Brittany turns to stare into Jeanette's emerald green eyes. They're twinkling with wonder and interest—something that was a normal appearance to her usual pretty eyes—they were full of _life._ And she didn't want to have it any other way. She didn't want to ever see a hint of fear or a trace of that glossy dead stare she knew Jeanette had last night… So she chose to say nothing of her so-called "dream" and laughed it off.

"Oh—I—I actually can't really remember much of it anymore, so…no worries," she lied, waving it off as she headed off to the bathroom. "I think I'm going to take a shower and help refresh my mind," she called back to her sisters as she walked back down the hallway and to the bathroom. Stopping at the door, she stood there and listened momentarily to her sister's soft voices speaking to one another.

"That was weird…" Eleanor was murmuring.

"Yeah…but it was probably just an intense dream she was having," Jeanette quietly sighed.

"You're probably right. As far as I'm concerned, you went and got the car with no troubles while Brittany and I waited outside the restaurant…"

As Brittany stared down at the ground, she placed her hand gently on the bathroom door handle and pushed it open, softly closing it behind her as she flicked the lights on. Staring into the mirror, she stared at her figure. She no longer was wearing her black dress and was dressed in her usual tank and shorts that she normally wore to sleep. She couldn't quite recall ever changing…or returning home to her room…or anything that her sisters seemed to remember since Jeanette had walked off to get the car.

What she remembered was that Jeanette said she was going to go get the car, but she was taking longer than what it should've taken, so she had decided she'd go find Jeanette, assuming her sister had lost track of where the car was…and when she arrived at the scene to where there car was parked, that's when she saw…

Brittany swallowed back the tingly feeling she felt on her tongue from the gruesome image and squeezed her eyes shut as she leaned against the bathroom sink. Reopening her eyes, staring into the mirror, she stared back at her reflection. Her deep, ice blue eyes stared back at her, and that's when she remembered _his_ eyes. The sky blue…and then the odd gold that was trying to consume the blue… She could sense something when she saw that…something dark.

But it was all supposedly a dream… Everything she had seen last night was apparently all inside her head…and she was having a hard time believing it, but that's just how it seemed to be. It was all too real for her to simply forget, however. Her headache she had woken up with had subsided for a bit, and she forgot about it when she got distracted by her sisters, but there was still a faint pressure fighting inside her head. She still felt like she could feel the liquid from the injections buzzing in her veins still…

Blinking at this, she leaned in closer to the mirror and peered down at her neck where she remembered feeling the needle poke into her skin. As she stared harshly at the reflection of her neck for a while, she was about ready to lean back when she saw it. Two, small, tiny holes poked in her skin, just above her collarbone, looking much like a wound from getting a shot. The holes were coagulated and small, but she could see them. She lightly brushed the tips of her fingers over the small wounds, and leaned away from the mirror with a blank face.

Turning around, she opened the door a small crack and listened to her sisters' typical conversation. They were talking about what they were going to do today, about how the weather should be, and about Jeanette's fantasy book she was reading…and that was the problem.

Everything was normal…when it shouldn't have been.

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 **Thanks so much for reading! :D**

 **And review, tell me what you think, whatever your heart desires.**

 **Hope you guys are having a smashing summer! ;D**


	2. Chapter 2

Her sisters left later that day—Jeanette off to her job at the local library and Eleanor off to the grocery store. Brittany currently stood in front of her closet as she tried to focus her thoughts on what to wear today, but kept getting distracted by different thoughts. Her black dress she had worn last night seemed to be hanging back inside her closet, looking as nice as it had when she picked it out. Her heels, however, were missing. She remembered one of the heels were broken, unaware as to how it broke in the first place…but just because they were broken didn't mean she didn't care about them. It upset her to think that her poor precious heels had even broken in the first place. They served her so well…

But enough about that. They broke, they're unusable—she could accept that—what she couldn't accept was that they were most likely thrown away, and not by _her._

Crossing her arms, she huffed and walked over to her bed, sitting down on the edge of it as she stared at her closet with concentrated ice blue eyes. Crossing her legs and propping her right elbow against them as she rested her chin on her hand, she exhaled out deeply. This would've been so much better if her sisters actually remembered what happened… But then as she reflects about the painful image of Jeanette, she begins to think otherwise. It was probably best Jeanette didn't remember anything. It still would've been nice though for Brittany to be able to talk about this with her sisters and not have them giving her strange looks, thinking she needed to so see some doctor about her "delusions."

Dropping her forehead into her hand, she rubbed at her head. Her headache was now gone…but she was beginning to think it would come back due to how much she was thinking about all of this. Obviously what happened last night wasn't supposed to be a part of her memory, or else why would everything be back to normal like it was supposed to be? She got her wish— _hooray—_ everything was normal—but she still has the memories and they're not quite giving her the happy results she would've liked with this wish. Everything was normal. But now she was beginning to desire it wasn't normal because she seemed to be alone with the awareness of what the heck was going on and that wasn't making her feel at ease…

Brittany glanced over to her bedroom door that was wide open, practically begging for something to freely come creeping in without her knowledge of it. Biting her lower lip, she stood up and walked over to the door, momentarily peering out into the empty hallway before she softly closed the door. Slowly turning around with her heart skipping a beat, half expecting someone to be standing there when no one was standing there, she scanned her room to make sure nothing oddly conspicuous would prove she had made the wrong choice of closing herself inside her bedroom alone, defenseless.

As an unnerving sensation of fear bubbled up in her stomach, making her feel like she was on a rollercoaster that was zooming at a very angled elevation to the ground, she glimpsed over at the window, almost too scared to do so. For a moment, she thought she had seen something outside her window from the corner of her eye as she was surveilling her room. But as she stared back at her reflection, she only saw herself.

Taking in a deep breath, she dropped her gaze as the eerie image of the dark figure and sharp teeth came to mind. Taking another glance at her window, she grabbed her laptop and headed over to her bed. She really needed to invest in getting some sort of curtain for her window…she'd rather not see what was out there if it ever came to her window. Opening her laptop and typing in the password, she self-consciously touched her neck as she waited for it to load.

Immediately when her laptop's home screen came on, she clicked on one of the browser icons and then on the Search box as she rested her fingers on the keyboard. How was she going to type this in? She wasn't even sure if she wanted to look up an image of what she had seen looming over Jeanette like she was its prey…but she wanted to know what that _thing_ was. As she stared at the screen, she pursed her lips. This was just like typing in images for spiders— _freaky_ and _terrifying._

Eventually after what felt like forever from simply sitting there with her hands unmoving, Brittany closed her laptop and marched over to her closet, picking out a bright neon pink jacket and black shirt, along with skinny jeans that were folded at the cuffs. As she dug through her closet after finding the other pieces of clothing, she then pulled out a pair of matching, casual, bright neon pink Nike shoes and quickly dressed her half-naked body with the clothing and shoes she had picked out. Pursing her lips, she glimpsed in the mirror, checking her usual ponytail and fringe she styled her hair into, and headed over to her door, freezing just as soon as her hand had touched the door knob like it were a Pause button.

What if something was waiting outside her bedroom door…? She was alone, so now would be the perfect—

She abruptly shook her head, her high ponytail slightly whipping against her neck as she forced herself to press Play on time and open the stupid door. Great—one night of terrifying horror and now she was acting like she was stepping on glass. What if that was just one of those occasions where she and her sisters just so happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and now nothing like that will ever happen again?

Her stomach still flipped when she (gratefully) found nothing waiting outside her door and she glimpsed right and left like you would before crossing a street as she headed down the hallway, past her sister's bedrooms and to the front door. Grabbing her keys to the apartment, she then left, making sure to lock the door before she headed down the many stairs to reach normal ground. She was going a lot faster than she normally did as she headed down the stairs, but she chose to ignore this and the bouncing echoes her feet made from each step she took, making it sound like she wasn't the only one making so much noise on the metal stairs.

It was a great relief to her when she had made it to normal ground and was heading outside her building and out onto the busy streets where normal people were walking on the sidewalks. Her stomach still felt like she was on that thrilling roller coaster, but it had settled down a little bit once she had surrounded herself with the open, noisy public. She couldn't help but glance back at her apartment building, just to see if maybe there was something abnormal there, but all she saw was a bespectacled boy at the base of the apartment steps, looking up inside the building. She vaguely wondered what he was looking at and fixed her gaze forward.

Brittany wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting or hoping to find, but when she made it to the same parking lot and same parking space she and her sisters had left their car at last night, all she could do was stand there dumbly and wonder, _Now what?_

Glancing around the parked cars, she casually walked around the area she had seen her bespectacled sister laying on the ground, trying to come up with a backup excuse to give to anyone who happens to question her at the same time.

There wasn't really anything significant she could see on the asphalt…it just looked like a boring black pavement. There was no blood, no sign of damage—nothing. Sighing as she glanced up at the sky, she couldn't help but frown. It better not rain. The cloudy sky seemed to be getting slightly darker and she walked here with no money or umbrella… Grabbing at the end of her ponytail and running her fingers down her glossy, light auburn hair, she examined the ground one last time, of course finding nothing. Heaving out a sigh, about ready to head on back to her apartment or maybe visit Jeanette at the library, she suddenly stood still. Her face contorted itself as she focused her senses on her ears.

She could hear something…it sounded a lot like heavy steps, as if someone were dragging their feet with much difficulty and will…and then there was the long drawl of something sharp scratching the asphalt in a continuous slog.

Feeling her heart beat fall out of rhythm with the heavy steps, her gaze flickered from here to there as she quietly breathed in the faint, rotten-smelling air, pivoting in a full circle. The noise suddenly stopped, causing her to anxiously begin walking backwards away from the parking spot area. The silence almost seemed too quiet, and just as she turned on her heels, about ready to make a break for it, she found herself come face to face with a dark, blonde-haired boy.

"Ah—!" she jumped back, feeling a mini heart attack. Her small outburst caused the boy to slightly jump as well.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the boy blinks, his innocent green eyes wide.

"Ho-how long have you been standing there?" Brittany questions nervously.

"Oh, um, I just got here…um, yeah—that's my car right there…" He then points over to the car parked in the parking space beside the area she had been inspecting.

Chewing on her lower lip, Brittany slowly nods her head, trying to mask the discomfort on her face. "Oh, right…of course… I'll just—yeah…" and she walks past the seemingly confused boy as fast as she can, not even daring to glance behind her. She can feel his eyes trailing after her like a watching owl and she's trying to debate whether or it's comforting to her that some random stranger is still staring at her or that she'll be having a witness if something happens to her.

While walking quickly with her hands shoved in her jacket pockets, she quickly heads inside the local grocery store in hopes to find her youngest sister. She didn't feel like walking back up the apartment steps alone and the library would be her next stop if she didn't find Eleanor. She wasn't sure what to think about those…noises, and frankly, she wasn't sure if she wanted to find out the source of them was. The more she thought about the noises, the more she thought about the looming figure over her sister's body, and she couldn't help but think: _I'm next._ And this time, things may never go back to normal like they somehow did from last night. She felt silly and absolutely irrational…but something inside of her wasn't just about to let this all go so easily.

As she swiftly roams past the many aisles of the grocery store, her hopes diminishing when she's nearly coming to an end on her hunt with nothing to return with, she sighs with great relief when she sees Eleanor standing near the meat counter. Nearly skipping her way over to her sister like a frolicking deer, she accidently bumps into some boy's shoulder saying a blinded, brief "Sorry!" as she continues over to Eleanor.

As if on cue, Eleanor suddenly glances up from her shopping list she held and a wide, surprised grin spreads across her face. "Brittany!"

Suddenly realizing what she was about to do, Brittany slows her pace down to something a little more customary as she approaches her sister. She just nearly gave Eleanor a big hug like she had done to Jeanette this morning and, well…considering the circumstances… She rarely ever greeted her sisters with a hug unless the situation matched, and the situation didn't exactly match. She was scared and giddy, but she had to remember Eleanor didn't know a single thing. She didn't want her sisters to act like they needed to keep themselves on leash whenever around her, so in order to keep the comfortable atmosphere, she had to put herself on leash.

"Hey!" Brittany smiles.

"What are you doing here?" Eleanor asks as she steps up to the meat counter and tells the big, beefy man her order.

"Oh, well, I got bored…" Brittany begins as Eleanor turns to look at her with a smile "…and I thought I'd be nice and help…" she awkwardly ends, trying to flash a genuine smile. This was so weird for her because she never comes to help grocery shopping. She helps to go shop for clothing, shoes, and anything related to fashion and beauty.

"Oh? Really…? Well, that's new…" Eleanor gives her a strange look, also knowing very well that Brittany's never done anything like this unless she were trying to avoid something. And the funny part was was the fact that she _was_ trying to avoid something. How ironic…

"Yeah, so—need any help?" Brittany offers, trying to make this seem completely natural. She had never been such a disgrace to her acting skills this badly before.

"Um, actually this was the last thing I needed to get—you could help push the shopping cart to the cash register, though," Eleanor shrugs, folding up the grocery list and putting it in her lime green, shoulder bag. Smiling to the beefy man, Eleanor then turns to grab the freshly packaged poultry, setting it down in the full shopping cart. "Well, this should last us two weeks…maybe, right?" she grins at Brittany.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Brittany glances down at the shopping cart and states, "Um, yeah. Sure…" She didn't know…

Snickering, Eleanor begins pushing the shopping cart, but then pauses, moving aside for Brittany to take the reins. "Here—you said you wanted to help, right?"

"Right," Brittany grits as she places her hand on the long handle bar, walking beside Eleanor as she leads the way to the cash register.

"So I'm thinking of making either spaghetti or fried chicken—what do you think?" Eleanor asks when they arrive at the cash register and Brittany's hurriedly placing each item in the cart on the rolling mat, moving towards the cash register.

"Um," she sighs. "I don't know, uh—well, spaghetti?—sure?" Brittany honestly didn't care. She just wanted to get back to their apartment safely…and before the sun went down. Geez—she's never gotten _this_ anxious before—almost like she had just come right out of a horror film.

.

It was about 4:30 P.M. when they returned back to their apartment under the sea of gray clouds blocking as much sunlight as it could. Jeanette was supposed to get off of work at 6:00, and that made Brittany worry. It began to get dark at around that time and Jeanette had already been attacked once. That only made Brittany think Jeanette would most likely get attacked again.

She began to drum her fingers against the countertop impatiently while listening to the sounds of Eleanor cooking, busy with her own thoughts, as she stared at the front door down the hallway. Sighing heavily, Brittany moved in her seat uncomfortably like a child with no attention span. She didn't understand anything. She didn't get any of this, and it was frustrating and terrifying to her. How come she was the only one who remembered what happened last night? Was she even supposed to remember what happened last night? She just wished she knew everything already…or at least could forget it and move on with her life.

 _When was Jeanette coming home?_

She had just about slammed her hand down on the table when she glanced at the clock. Abruptly standing, she begins to head down the hallway to the taunting, closed, heavy door.

"Where you going? Dinner's almost ready," Eleanor calls after her.

"Oh, I…"

She suddenly hears the front door open and clamp shut like a yawning mouth.

Whipping her head around, Brittany sighs with relief, passing a smile to Jeanette who was now taking her shoes off while moving a strand from her messy bun out of her face. Looking back to Eleanor, Brittany points to the door right next to her, which just so happened to be the door to her bedroom. S _he got lucky_.

"Oh, duh—hey, Jeanette!" Eleanor chirps, heading back into the boundaries of the kitchen.

"Hey…." Brittany hears Jeanette call softly as she heads inside her room.

"How was work?" Eleanor's voice asks.

"Fine…"

And that's when Brittany closes her bedroom door, cutting the conversation out from her hearing. Leaning back against her door momentarily, she begins to take her jacket off, and hanging it back up, she then pulls her shoes off, tossing them carelessly inside her closet. Running her hand along her ponytail, she glances at her window, the still cloudy skies shadowing over everything it could touch. Pulling her lingering eyes away with much effort and self-control, she then strips herself of her shirt and pants, quickly changing into some comfortable shorts and a tank top before she goes and joins her sisters to eat.

The following days after, the days go by as normal as any day could get. Brittany hasn't heard the eerie noises since Saturday, and her sister's days seem to get more boring to her. She didn't get how Jeanette could stand just sitting in a library, every now and then walking around, reorganizing books people aren't considerate enough to put back themselves. And then Eleanor, who was currently working as a waiter at some old fashioned diner, was starting to work full time there—her goal was to eventually become a chef, and hopefully, be able to apply to a better job that dealt with the culinary arts—that just seemed exhausting, considering Eleanor was now working from 6:00-1:00 A.M. Brittany rarely ever saw her anymore, and she felt like she was spending more time alone, all by herself.

Just because everything seemed normal for her sisters, and that she hadn't heard those noises again, didn't mean everything abnormal stopped for Brittany. She always felt like she was being watched, and she finally got to the point to where she began to tape a sheet up against her window every night. She was beginning to have disturbing nightmares, and some nights she found herself waking up, crying over a dream she couldn't quite remember, only knowing that what had happened was far worse than what she had actually seen in person and had stored away in the back of her brain like a permanent tattoo for her to never forget. Her sisters were completely unaware of this, and she so badly wanted to tell someone about this—but she just couldn't.

She also could no longer stand staying inside her own room with the door shut and locked, for she always seemed to find herself hearing the floorboards outside her room _creak_ softly, and she knew better that neither of her sisters would ever return home early or wake up in the middle of the night like that. In all her years, they rarely ever have to wake up in the middle of the night to go get a drink or use the bathroom—for something like that to happen was as often as she saw a shooting star; it's been ages since she's seen one. Also, she's never even heard the floorboards creak before…

Then Thursday happened...and everything she knew ultimately changed as the world's mask began to slowly break and fall to pieces before her eyes.

* * *

 **Oh my gosh - first off, _THANK YOU_ Charr2003, no1nosme, Guest, a.r.h.f.20! :DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD (Pretend that's a lot of double chins to show how big my smile is because I didn't know what else to do.) Can I just hug you guys? You don't even know how happy you guys made me!**

 **And YES\- my other story, I will begin to work on it. Probably will have to switch off between updates or whatever - I'll figure it out very soon... ;D But for now, bare with me as my brain spurts on this story. And ****I'm actually now making it a goal to read through my writing before I post it! - which is new for me because frankly I get too lazy to do that...and I'm trying to improve on my detailing methods because I feel like I'm a little bland oftentimes. :P But anyways...**

 **Thanks so much for reading! And again, thank you for the reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

Brittany was running down the loud metal stairs like she normally did to her apartment complex, and just as she was reaching the halfway point, her heart racing to beat the rhythm of her quick steps and her stomach feeling like she was about ready to jump off a cliff (this feeling had seemed to become permanent for her whenever she was going up or down these stairs), she noticed something on the third floor. She had to backtrack herself as she anchored her hand on the cold metal rail before she began her next flight of stairs. There was something wretched in the air—it smelled awfully familiar, and after she stood still for a while, staring down the next flight of stairs as the gears in her brain struggled to think in this toxic air, her mind had matched the puzzle pieces together: It smelled just like she was back inside that prison….

Turning around, ice blue eyes slowly monitoring her surrounding like a moving security camera, she froze. Something was off.

Apartment 6's door was slightly ajar, and as far as she was concerned, the elderly man who lived there rarely ever came out— _not even for food_. He paid a neighbor to go grocery shopping for him like they were his servant. Never in the past year has she or her sisters ever witnessed this man coming out or even opening his door, unlike they have for the other ten residents living in this apartment complex. It's been rumored before from Ms. Plumpridge, a big, fat, talkative tomato of a lady who loved gossip and talking to the Miller sisters more than she loved her own _precious_ cats (which they avoided staying near her front door on the fourth floor in Apartment 7 for no longer than five seconds, for they were positive she had an extra sense that would know when they were near), that you only ever see this strange old man's long-nailed, skeletal-like hand snatching the food away like a greedy, hungry animal that hasn't eaten for years, ten minutes after the food arrives. She even crosses her heart with her large, sausage, manicured fingers that she's witnessed this herself, and more than once, too.

Swallowing the lump in her throat that had suddenly grown to the size of an apple, Brittany slowly approaches Apartment 6, stopping a good few feet away from the opened door. It was pitch black inside the room from what she could tell…and she could hear something—it sounded almost like chewing noises…loud, chomping, swallowing, chewing noises. As she feels her stomach churn uneasily and something inside of her telling her to run, she then realizes her body had begun to slightly shake, vibrating like an electric massager was running up and down her spine.

Brittany slowly walks away from the slightly opened door, feeling stupid she ever came near it when she feels something touch the small of her back—

Gasping loudly at this, her stomach igniting a quick spasm of adrenaline up to her heart, she immediately turns around, only to find the squared, metal railing there. Exhaling deeply, she grows silent, listening intently for the disturbing noises from Apartment 6. She couldn't hear anything…but maybe that was because she was slightly further away. Gradually turning her head and fixing it on Apartment 6, her heart pounding loudly in her ears, she mutely stands still like a statue, holding her breath as she waits. The sudden urge to run comes back, and she considers doing just that when she suddenly hears a loud _thump,_ like something heavy and soft had fallen on the ground, making her mind go blank.

For a moment, nothing happens.

But then before she realizes it, something thick and syrupy begins to slowly seep out from beneath the slightly opened door, and the moment she comprehends what the deep crimson is, she clamps a hand over her mouth to silence any noise clinging at the back of her throat waiting to jump out, and she books it down the rest of the way to the main level, somehow skipping steps without falling down through the unsteady drumroll thunders her feet are sounding off like an alarm.

She doesn't stop running as she heads towards the local library where Jeanette works at, and as she skips up the many stairs to the main doors, her flowy, floral dress lightly dances against her legs, following the flow of the whispering breeze. People are staring at her curiously, and she hardly cares to offer an apology to the bespectacled boy she nearly crashes into. Inside her panicking head, she absent-mindedly recognizes this boy as the same boy who had been standing at the base of the building to her apartment complex, oddly staring up at something, but she hardly gives any attention to this thought as it quickly gets lost in her scattered head.

The moment Brittany bursts through the doors, she finally takes a moment to breathe, and as she tries to ease her heavy huffs and walk like she just hadn't ran a marathon, she can feel her body is shaking severely.

For the next two hours, she ends up waiting for her sister to get off of work, and lucky for Brittany, tonight was the night Jeanette had to close the library. So they had to stay a little bit after 6:00 P.M. Yay…

Just as Jeanette had finally come back from returning a book on its proper shelf, she suddenly gasps, "Oh no…I forgot to turn the air conditioning off… Here, Brittany, while I go downstairs, can you check around this building to make sure no one is still here? Occasionally we get some Snoozers—people who fall asleep here—and sometimes some people here are clueless that the library's actually closing—so would you please do that?—and then we can leave a lot sooner? Sorry, it's just…" Jeanette scrambles around for some papers, finally picking up what appears to be a numbered list and a faded blueprint "…this is the first time I've ever turned the air conditioning off, and I hear that it's a bit of a maze downstairs and…well, I kind of get the feeling it will take me a bit longer to figure out how to turn the air conditioning off…

"It's alright if you don't want to. It's just you seem a bit anxious to leave as well, and I don't want you to wait long for me…"

Brittany shakes her head. "No—yeah, I'll go do that right now."

Smiling gratefully, Jeanette nods her head while grabbing a heavy, black flash light as she tucks the papers beneath an arm. "Thanks. I've basically already checked this main floor—just check the second and third floor. Meet me back here when you're done, alright?"

Nodding her head, Jeanette walks off, leaving Brittany standing all alone. By the time Brittany loses sight of her sister, she can feel a light pulse of adrenaline beginning to spread throughout her body like a deadly virus. Her hands are beginning to get sweaty to her disgust, and within a minute of blank staring and listening, she slowly begins to walk towards her two options to reach the second and third floor: either the stairs or the elevator. She chooses the stairs.

She no longer liked to be in small spaced rooms, and she just wanted to get this over and done with. She wanted to be back with Jeanette as soon as possible.

When she arrived at the second floor, her calves slightly aching, she pursed her lips, briskly walking along the carpeted floor, scanning each aisle and every section there was. It was dimly lit and smelled a bit musty, and she felt like she had stepped inside a cold bubble. After about maybe 7 minutes, she was already heading on her way up to the third floor. No one was there on the second floor. And now, she only had one more floor to go. _Just one more._

As she approached the base to the third level, she found that the double doors were closed to this area, unlike the doors on the second floor which were propped wide open. Strangely she couldn't help but think the doors looked like the type that would lead you into an experimental laboratory. Heaving out a sigh, she quietly pushed the heavy doors open and walked in, suddenly feeling a chill creep up her spine. It felt colder in here, and it was much darker… The smell was thick with old books and their silent words.

Brittany sucked in a deep breath, clenching her teeth as she stepped further within the dark room. This time, she walked much faster compared to the floor beneath her, her sandals barely making any noise. And just as she had passed an area with some couches for people to relax and read on, she found a figure slumped on one of the single, maroon couches. Exhaling deeply, she walked over to the man who looked about he was in his thirties. She couldn't believe these so-called "Snoozers" actually existed. She thought Jeanette was joking when she mentioned this. Tapping the man on the shoulder, she spoke, "Hey, excuse me… Mister…"

He didn't budge.

Rolling her eyes, she stepped around his chair so she was standing right in front of him, staring at him with an irritated expression. How could people just fall asleep so deeply in the library like this? Didn't they know that the library wasn't a 24 hour thing and actually had a closing time?

This time, she shook his shoulder a little bit, and his hanging head that was shaking loosely like it were a bobble head simply just shook side to side. Pursing her lips, she slapped the man's face a little—"Hey, Mister—" lifting his head up— "excuse m—"

She quickly snatched her hand away close to her chest, acting like she had just got bitten as she sucked in a sharp breath. Her flowy dress lightly brushed against her legs with a feathery touch, causing a shudder to release throughout her body like electricity. Gradually stepping away from the man, her stomach filling with adrenaline, she accidentally bumps into the small, square coffee table behind her, falling on top of it with a loud _thud._ As she continues to stare in horror at the man while propping herself up on her elbows, she can't take her eyes away from his hanging, slightly swaying head.

Her heart was about ready to burst right out of her chest and make a run for it itself, and just as she's about ready to follow the fervent of her heart in where it wanted to run, her whole body becomes stiff when she becomes aware of a dark presence. Ever so slowly turning her head to look to her right, her face contorts itself as she realizes a darkened figure, standing among the shadows in one of the aisles. She didn't know how she just knew there was something standing there, but she really regretting she looked.

The dark figure appeared like they were some normal person, standing at a book shelf, looking for something, and if she hadn't have seen this…man on the couch first…she probably would've walked past that aisle, noticing the figure, and marched right up to that thing about ready to speak her mind, asking what the heck they were doing... Somehow, she knew she had lucked out… Considering what the circumstances appeared to be, she was slightly grateful she had seen this man on the couch first because when the shadowed figure off in the distance slowly, eerily turned its quivering head like it were a spazzing glitch, she found herself staring into a pair of blood-thirsty eyes and knew that she would've been dead.

Feeling what she wanted to assume was her heart getting stuck in her throat from trying to escape and run away so badly, she swallowed it down, struggling to get to her feet from off the low table. As her body flails and skirmishes to get up, she ends up rolling off onto the floor, landing painfully on her left arm; her mind was coming up with a thousand different ways she could get to her feet quickly, and her body didn't know which one to do, so it tried to do them all at once which resulted in her fall.

Quickly glancing behind her as she scrambles frantically to her feet, seeing that the figure was now coming towards her with a steady stagger, almost like it were walking with a limp, she pushes her feet off the ground and makes a break for it.

As she's running, she can't help but think of Jeanette and her fears completely swallow her whole as she chokes on her own screams and swelling sobs. Her chest is getting so tight and she's gasping for air while trying to be positive that she'll make it. What if Jeanette was in danger too?! Was her sister alright?! She needed to warn her!

By the time she had made it to the doors to the stairs, she finds her arms are wobbly and weak, shaking with so much fear that she can barely even open the heavy door properly. But when she manages to do so, she quickly slips by, but finds herself just as quickly flinging backwards into the hard door. Trying to move forward as swiftly as she possibly can, she then realizes with horror that her dress had gotten caught between the doorframe and the door itself, like it were a mousetrap clinging tightly onto her for the beast to come get her.

Tugging with unsteady arms at the delicate fabric to her loose dress, she's panting "C'monc'monc'mon" frantically as she gives one harsh tug on her dress, shrieking and crying as her dress tears and she finally breaks free. She scrambles to get to her feet to rush down the stairs, but her legs feel like jelly and unlock themselves the moment she takes one eager step down the carpeted steps, causing her to stumble and fall down the stairs with and harsh _thud_ against the white, yellowing wall.

Her breath completely escapes her lungs, and she's finding it hard to get to her feet as she feels her body beginning to spread with pain like a heavy stone was compressing down on her. She wants to stay laying there, just to let the pain sink in and be done with, but the moment she hears something bang against the hard, closed double doors leading to the third floor and she looks up, seeing an angry, red, gleaming eye peer through the small window on the right door at her hungrily, she shrieks with horror, bawling even harder as she forces her confused body to stand and head down the next flight of stairs.

 _"Help!_ — _somebody help me!"_ she weakly whines, knowing very well that no one most likely can't even hear her.

This time her legs are more stable and she's able to make it down this next flight of stairs without falling, however she still slams into the wall from the momentum and the fact that her weak body isn't stable, before she begins to head down the next flight of stairs; and as she takes each step with a quick prick like the floor had turned to lava, she can feel the tear from her dress up her right leg, the fabric getting caught between her legs with frayed edges.

By the time she had made it to the second to last flight of stairs before she would finally reach the main floor, she realized too late how close behind her the bloody-eyed thing was as it slammed into the wall, and letting out another frightened cry, her legs begin to fail her and she stumbles down the last flight of stairs.

"JEANETTE—RUN!" she shrieks as loud as she can the moment she hits the base of the stairs, her throat quickly going sore. "RUN!"

Brittany scrambles to her feet, catching sight of her bespectacled sister standing beside the reception desk a fairly good distance away. She could see the confusion and terror written across her sister's face, but she stayed put, frozen solid. _What was she doing?!_ Brittany thought fearfully. _MOVE! RUN!_

Brittany quickly glimpsed behind her, and moving a little too late, the black thing had suddenly lunged at her, shoving her against the wooden table behind her that had a few magazines and old newspapers on it. Immediately from the overpowering weight on one side of the table, it tipped over, causing Brittany to land on her back with the strong thing on top of her. Crying out with pain and loud, scared shrills, she struggles against the suffocating weight as she turns her pounding head away from the creature with her eyes glued shut—

Suddenly she feels the heavy weight get shoved off of her and for a moment, she has time to herself to be able to hold her throbbing head while her aching body coiled up into a ball. Every single piece of her body was pounding with pain—she felt like her whole frame was beginning to get swollen and covered in a blanket of warm fire. She can't hear anything except for her thudding heart, and her sore throat makes it hard for her to not choke on her own oxygen. Her mind is screaming at her to get up, and with very much willpower, she finally heeds the voice in her head and attempts to stand, pressing a firm hand on the ground, but her body's completely drained of strength and she can't seem to lift herself up any more.

However, before she knows it, _he's_ at her side, pulling her up with him. She immediately recognized him from his clear sky blue eyes that glinted in the moonlight, shining through from the large ceiling windows near the reception desk, and for a moment, her heart drops as she weakly tries to push him away.

 _No_ — _she couldn't take anymore of this_ —

But he's wiping her tears away gently with his thumbs and she can hear him murmuring words of comfort she can't quite comprehend. Her heart begins to shatter slightly at this as she stares at him in confusion. She can't stop crying when he calls to someone and his grip on her tightens as she feels her body giving out on her as her head begins to spin. She fights to keep her eyes open but her vision betrays her as it fades to an empty blackness...

His eyes are the last thing she sees.

* * *

 **You're gonna laugh at me, but I was listening to scary instrumental music as I was writing this in hopes to help me set the right mood and setting (stupidest thing ever)... I think I totally psyched myself out from listening to those songs...some were a little too spooky and I just had to skip them. Haha, it was ridiculous because it was nighttime when I wrote this, and my PC kept on rubbing against the leather part of the couch, making weird lovely little noises, and I would keep _jumping!_ It was stupid.**

 **Anyways, thanks so much for reading!**

 **And thank you so very much for the reviews you guys! :D**

 **Hope you enjoyed this!**


	4. Chapter 4

The soft _pitter patters_ of the rain outside knocking on the window slowly wakes Brittany up, and as she opens her heavy eyelids, a sudden flash of white light lights up her room and a heavy, low, grumbling sound is heard from above.

As she slowly sits up in her bed and wipes at her dry, crusted eyes, she can't help but rub her cold arms, gradually coming to a stop. Confusion flickers across her face as she quickly checks her arms and feels around her body. It doesn't take her long to realize the obvious: _She has no injuries._

Blinking, she stares down at her hands, muddled.

But she… That _thing…_

Didn't she fall and just about break her neck more than a thousand times?

She wasn't stupid—she knew that the falls she took most definitely should've caused some serious bruising, and perhaps even a few unnoticed fractures. If you had asked her then where she was hurt, she wouldn't have been able to tell you because her whole entire body was screaming at her.

That thing was on top of her…how was she sitting here in her bed? She wasn't dead…was she?

Her memory failed her as it tried to scroll through her history of events, coming down to a torn end. All she remembered was how severely her head had started to hurt when she fell off that tipping table, overpowering every other injury she had, making them feel like nothing… She could hardly believe she was still alive. That didn't even seem possible.

For a while, she just sat there, thinking.

But when she hears the soft, moaning _creak_ of the floorboards outside her room, her eyes flicker up to her closed door. Immediately she thinks, _It's here to finish me off…_ But as the silent drags on, nothing happens.

Suddenly another flash of lightning passes through her window, catching her attention, and she eventually gets out of bed to peer out her window. The bed sheet she had taped up was still draping from the ceiling like a hanging body, and as she gently moved some of the thin fabric away with the back of her hand, a gasp escaped her lips.

 _Fog._

All she could see was thick, dark, fog. It was practically like the clouds in the sky were overflowing and drowning the town she lived in with an abyss of the storm where no light could break through. This has never happened before. Furrowing her eyebrows, she stepped away from the window and turned to open her door without a second thought of what could be out there.

Just like every other time she had opened her door and expected there to be something, there was nothing except a ghost of the presence of what used to be there. Glimpsing first to her left, she silently headed over to her right, down the hallway to the front door. As she passed her sister's bedrooms, she found that Jeanette's door was slightly open, oddly reminding her of Apartment 6.

Jeanette never leaves her door open at night. In fact, all three sisters had a tendency to close their doors every night.

Brittany's insides begin to churn as she peers through the small gap between the door and doorframe. Off in the corner, she can see the bedframe to her sister's bed covered in purple bedsheet and the stacked shelves full of untidy books beside it. She can hear the sounds of something chewing sloppily, and her heartbeat begins to beat louder at the strange familiar noise. She places her fingers against the door, barely brushing it when it seems to open like someone had opened it for her, inviting her in.

Her heart drops at the sight as she sees the dark looming figure over her sister's limp body, slowly lifting its head to stare at her, and she screams—

.

Brittany's eyes abruptly snapped open. Blinking, her eyes wandered around the dark room she was in as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Where was she? Slowly sitting up, she got to her feet with much effort—her whole body was so _sore_... She felt like she would shatter any second now.

As she evaluated her body and inspected for any injuries she knew she should have, her lips pursed into a tight line when she found none. That was weird… Rubbing her left arm, she stared down at the ground, lost in thought.

She remembered everything…except the nightmare. How come she never remembered her dreams anymore? In fact, it wasn't just her nightmares she couldn't remember. It was also every other dream she's had ever since she and her sisters moved here. At first she had figured she just didn't dream anymore—but after a while, she finally figured it out. She always woke up with an empty thought, but the emotions she felt were always there. Some days she would wake up utterly disappointed, whereas others, she would wake up extremely happy. And now she only ever woke up terrified.

Brittany's whole frame was shaking with fear and her skin was crawling with chills. Where was she? What was going on? Where were her sisters?

As she glimpsed around the wooden room, the only light coming from the large window to her left, she found she was alone. The corners of the room had foggy cobwebs, appearing like hazy clouds, building up with dust, and there was an old, vintage dresser against the far left corner with missing handles and chipping, yellowing paint. From the place she had just stood up from, there was a slightly raveled, woolen blanket beneath her, looking hopeless with its moth holes from years of having been stored away. She couldn't believe she had actually slept on it…it looked revolting and germy. Just thinking about the odor that must've been wafting up to her nose made her want to vomit.

Hardly breathing in any oxygen, she cautiously headed over to the window, trying to not think about the woolen blanket. As she peered outside the dirty framed glass, she found the yellow, dim lights from the old diner she recognized Eleanor worked at, across the street from where she was, lighting up the dark roads. She nearly turned around to run out the door and get to her sister as fast as she possibly could, but she quickly stopped herself. She needed to get over there…but she didn't know if that was possible. Naturally, of course, there most likely was somebody keeping watch on her…

Brittany gritted her teeth as she stared eagerly outside the window. She wanted to be with her sisters. She needed to make sure they were safe. She would put herself before their death if it came down to it. How was she supposed to escape, though? Should she try the window? Simply try walking out the door?

Finally making up her wrestling mind with what idea she should go with, she turned on her heel and walked determinedly to the wooden old door, and placing a hand on the rusting door handle, she held her breath as she quietly opened the door. She exhaled out with relief when the door actually opened and didn't moan a single noise. Considering how old the door must've been, she thought for sure the hinges would cry out the alarm that she was trying to escape. That's how it always obnoxiously has to happen in the movies.

Slipping soundlessly past the door, Brittany tried not to breathe too hard as her hands gingerly began to grip onto her torn dress as a stress relief. He palms were getting hot and sweaty—it was disgusting. They felt so grimy— _she_ felt so grimy, having slept on that woolen blanket and been through all that she's been through. She just wanted to get out of here—to have everything end. Surprisingly she was handling this all so well. She couldn't quite believe it herself. But there was no way Brittany was going to get defeated by this—whatever it was. She was determined to win this game that was started by whoever—or whatever—it was that was challenging her.

Creeping further down the dark hallway like a cat, Brittan soon found herself approaching a closed door with a yellow glow shining from beneath it. She could hear movement within the closed off room, and for a moment, she froze in place, thinking whoever was inside the room had sensed her near and would come open the door…but that never happened. So she continued on, tiptoeing past the closed door.

Eventually Brittany found the stairs, and by the time she reached the bottom, she recognized where she was, and an unsettling feeling shadowed over her as she stared around the empty, wooden rooms. It seemed as if the tables had just turned on her, by placing her in an unfair playing field.

Across the street from the diner Eleanor worked at, there was an old, wooden house. It looked like one you'd see in an old western town that's been abandoned for years. It definitely stood out like black on white. It always looked gloomy, and even more so on a rainy day. In a way, this creepy house was another story of Apartment 6, except there was a slight alternation: The old man that supposedly lives here spies on people from far away, and in the night, they became his victims.

It was a silly, stupid story to scare people away. Brittany never believed it, and neither did Eleanor; however, Jeanette on the other hand struggled with the rumors and superstitions. She always did, though, claiming she saw someone staring at them from the window upstairs…

Now, Brittany didn't even know what to think. She was willing to believe anything now, considering all that's happened. Maybe Jeanette was right….maybe someone had been staring at them.

Brittany knew she was inside the old wooden house—there really was no other place like it. She always wondered why no one bothered to tear it down…and now she was really wishing someone had torn it down. She once had a chance to get rid of the house her senior year of high school—she was with some friends and they were out on a Friday night, goofing around. That night they had all agreed to start a match and drop it on the grounds of the house. They never did though because neither of them could bring themselves to go near the house.

Turning into what appeared to be the kitchen, Brittany's ice blue eyes immediately scanned for a weapon. She wanted to at least know she didn't go down without a fight if anything were to come out like they were the Boogeyman… She now knew that there was a reason to be afraid of every shadow. It was funny to think how one experience could change everything. The darkness used to never really bother her because nothing life-threatening ever happened in this town— _ever._ For over a century, there hasn't been a single crime that's had to get recorded. And she knew this because Jeanette had said so when they moved here.

It was very strange when their caretaker had suddenly said they were moving here. What was even odder was the fact that they moved out of their house within a day this sudden news had been shared. Flash forward to the present, and now here she was, stuck in the middle of a messed up crime. She had been taken against her own will, injected without her consent, attacked in a serious game of chase, and even violated of her property! No one throws away her things without her saying so.

Sighing heavily, Brittany opened a drawer beside the kitchen sink, but stopped when it made a slight squeaking noise. Pursing her lips, her stomach on edge, she then took another scan of her surroundings. There _had_ to be something…

Approaching another drawer, she slowly began to open it—

"What are you doing?" a wispy, aged voice had suddenly said.

Brittany jumped, clutching her hands close to her chest as her eyes flew up to the old man who had suddenly appeared on the other side of the island table.

"You're not supposed to be here—get back in your room," the old man rasped, his hunched, lean body making him look like skin-colored paint had just been dunked on a skeleton.

Still staring wide-eyed at the pale, balding old man, whose nails were long and sharp like metal spoons, and lips thin to just a line with erupting wrinkles, Brittany's eyes glimpsed down to check the drawer she had opened. There was a silver, sharp-tipped butcher knife barely peeking out in view. She cracked a small smile and glanced up with a hard face at the man. She was ready.

The old man must have understood what she had found because his eyes went wide and he lunged at her with a growl. Quickly her fingers snatched the silver, glinting knife and she pointed it at him as she clutched onto the handle with both hands. Almost immediately like magnets facing the same negative energy towards one another, the old man abruptly stopped, keeping his distance from her, still growling.

"Stay back!" Brittany ordered, trying her best to hide the fear building up like a volcano that was about ready to explode.

The old man snarled, staring at her with scornful, dark, melted blue eyes as she slowly walked around him and towards an exit. She just wanted to leave. Be done with this. Go home, and never deal with this ever again. Why couldn't she have lost her memories like her sisters seemed to have? It wasn't fair. Ignorance truly was bliss…

Her heart was pounding and she couldn't help but yelp when her back had collided with the wall. Swiftly glancing behind her, she just as quickly brought her eyes back to the old man. Swallowing and tilting her chin up to show dominance, she reached out a shaky hand to the doorknob behind her, struggling to find the actual thing as her hand pat against the wooden door pathetically. Where was the stupid doorknob?!

Trying her best to conceal the fear that was beginning to erupt inside of her, burning the core of her eyes causing them to water when she couldn't seem to find the doorknob, her fumbling hand suddenly bumped against a cold, rusted metal, and she latched a firm hand on the grainy material. Twisting the wobbly doorknob and swinging it open, she backed out of the musty house, the knife still in her hand, along with the old man's cold, fading eyes on her.

The moment Brittany was out of the house and standing in the dead backyard, belonging to the decaying house, she took a moment to glance around. She could feel the cool night air slither across her feet, sinking her body in its wet dew as she let everything seep in. When she doesn't see sight of any mysterious figure lurking in the shadows, she turns to make a run for it. As she rounds the house and quickly glances behind her to make sure the old man wasn't following her, she suddenly tripped and fell to the ground, the silver knife slipping out of her.

Biting her lower lip as she felt a stinging sensation suddenly ablaze on her wrists, causing the first steaming tear to escape her eyes and slowly paint down her cheeks, she scrambled to get to her feet and quickly snatched up the knife. It was a minor dilemma when she found there was _more_ dead wood, lining up like soldiers blocking her way, but she quickly found a gap below two of the rotting fence boards. Once she had safely crawled her small frame through the hole with much fear for what could possibly swipe at her feet, she was quickly up on her feet and running towards the diner.

By the time she was halfway across the street, however, strong arms swiftly wrapped around her torso, much to her horror.

"No! Let me _go!_ " Brittany screamed, desperately trying to pry the arms away with weak hands, one of them still clutching onto the knife. Her wrists were stinging with pain. What happened to them when she fell?! It wasn't that bad of a fall, was it?

Catching sight of the weapon in her hand glint in the yellow lighting from inside the diner, she then changed the direction she was holding the handle of the blade feeling quite stupid for not realizing this sooner, and in the blink of an eye, she pierced the blade into the side of her attacker effortlessly, like she had just stabbed at water.

The person trapping her in his arms cursed under his breath, but his grip on her didn't ease up like she had thought it would and before she knows it, he's got one hand fastened tightly over her lips like a wax seal and another choking her stomach like a coiling anaconda as she squirms and attempts to scream out a muffled cry.

" _Hold still—!"_ the voice behind her grunts as he drags her back towards the old man's house.

Brittany continues to fight and claw at his hand covering her mouth, but every effort she makes feels like it's worth hardly a penny compared to his strength. Her vision blurs with tears as the sight of the diner is vanished from her vision and an ugly, dark wooden door is replaced in her sight. _Ugh…and I was so close,_ she can't help but think.

Despite her dying hope, she thrashes even harder and her captor suddenly calls out, infuriated and incredibly irritated— " _Bleidd!—"_ he reapplies his grip across her stomach— "I thought you said you could handle _watching_ her!"

Some footsteps can be heard stomping across the wooden floors, and within a few seconds, Brittany can hear the old man's familiar voice respond, as a soft, warm yellow light melts into the room: "I was!—but she pulled out my knife and—" he momentarily pauses, and Brittany steals a glance his way only to catch him gawking at her nastily as he sets the old, oil lamp in his hand down on the ground. "Ah!—the little _brat's_ back!" he spits.

Brittany's eyes widen with horror when she catches sight of sharp canine teeth as he speaks—she never realized this before…

"Aren't as tough as you think you are, huh?" Bleidd taunts, making her momentarily forget his teeth and try to free her mouth so she could shoot something rude at him. That was completely uncalled for—he doesn't even _know_ her! If she could, she would rip his creepy face into tiny little pieces…

"Not, _helping,_ " her captor grits, readjusting his grip on Brittany.

Suddenly to her surprise, she's released and she crashes to the floor. Taking a moment to breathe, Brittany watches her captor with disgusted eyes as the broad-shouldered boy pulls the bloody knife from where she stabbed him out, wiping it on his pants like he had simply pulled out a knife from inside a peanut butter jar and was spreading it on a piece of bread.

After checking both sides of the blade, the boy hands Bleidd the knife, eyeing her while he does this, and that's when she realizes the color of his eyes: _they were sky blue…_

Confusion immediately makes her curiously begin to push herself upright, and she can only bring herself to stare at this boy as he starts a soft-spoken conversation with Bleidd.

She knew him for a few things. He was the one that saved her…yet injected her with that shot…and now here he was again… Something inside of her was telling her she should fear him because obviously—look at her situation!—he's always there when some out-of-the-ordinary-unrealistic-weirdness is occurring…but she just couldn't. It wasn't because he seemed to appear perfectly normal because there _was_ something off about his appearance that would make him stand out—but at the moment, she just couldn't quite wrap her finger around it.

Brittany was definitely scared, but not quite of him. She was more afraid of Bleidd, even though her captor seemed to have more power and control over the old man than he did himself. It didn't make sense to her…but then again, it did because every single time this boy with the golden brown, tousled hair was near, she was always still _alive._

She slowly dropped her gaze to her torn dress, remembering what happened in the library. It felt like an awful nightmare she had dreamt, just thinking about it—she couldn't almost believe that what happened was supposed to be real…but the proof was here—her dress was torn, she saw it all and remembered it….except all of her injuries she knew she should have were gone. And the way this boy treated her before she lost hold of her consciousness…

Brittany frowned, bringing her gaze back up to the old man and boy, realizing they had stopped talking. They both looked like they were listening intently to something, and when she tried to listen too, she only heard the silence.

They must've heard something she couldn't because before she knew it, the sky blue-eyed boy was rushing past Bleidd saying, "Don't lose track of her this time! And you—" he suddenly turned to Brittany "—don't do anything stupid!" and he disappeared out of sight.

Bleidd had nodded his head, reaching his bony hand out for Brittany to take as he grabbed for the oil lamp with the other. "C'mon, girl—come with me," he was saying.

Brittany stared at his long, yellowing nails, debating whether or not this was some sort of trick, but when he barked, straining his old voice, "C'mon! We don't have much time!" at her, her hand shot out and latched onto his leathery skin and he pulled her up. His grip on her is surprisingly strong, and as he's dragging her with him down a corridor, she catches sight of his whole skin suddenly shifting with a large ripple like a wave in the water. Blinking at the unmistakable sight she had just seen, Bleidd suddenly halts and listens. Brittany's eyes grow even wider when she realizes Bleidd's right ear was beginning to grow large and pointy. Cursing under his breath, Bleidd turns to Brittany's shocked face with narrowed, dim blue eyes.

"C'mon, we don't have much time," he says, and she's abruptly jerked forward in front of him.

"Hey! Keep your grubby hands off of me—!" Brittany started, feeling him grab hold of her shoulders as she's shoved down the small corridor, but she cuts herself short from her next shrill of protest when she feels something undeniably sharp stab into her skin. Her eyes widen with horror when she sees his yellow nails are beginning to grow and thicken, and before she knows it, she finds herself getting thrown into a small, dark coat closet.

"Hey—!" Brittany yelps.

" _Shhh!_ " Bleidd hushes, bringing the small oil lamp inside the closet so they could see each other's faces. Brittany has to lean away when she finds his face a little too close for her liking. "Stay here and be quiet! Don't _ever_ come out or go with anything unless it's me or Alvin!"

"Alvin?" she mutters. "The one who was just with us?" she questions, already knowing the answer as her heartbeat begins to speed up.

Bleidd nods his head.

"And if it's not you or Alvin that comes to get me…?" she asks, unable to keep her eyes off of his growing canines and dog-like forming snout. Her head was bursting with a thousand different thoughts. Her breathing had suddenly gotten heavier.

"Then _run!_ Now _shh_ —!" he silences, swiftly closing the door and leaving her to get swallowed up in the darkness.

She holds her breath for a moment when suddenly—

 _CRACK!_ She hears what sounds like bones breaking, and she has to clamp a hand over her mouth to conceal any noises on the tip of her tongue. Suddenly she hears the sound of glass shattering and the dim light from the oil lamp is snuffed out from shining through beneath the door. A low growl can be heard as heavy _thumps_ against the wooden floor fade away in a rush.

Brittany releases a shaky breath when she thinks she's alone and whatever was out there was truly gone. Hugging her hands close to her chest and bringing her knees close, she stares blankly into the darkness as she goes over everything that she had just seen—his ears were getting bigger, his nails were getting longer, his face was changing…

Her face twists as she tries to think of anything else but the answer that's in her head. _No¸_ she had tried to counsel to herself, _there's no such thing as a…_

But when she rethinks of everything that's been happening, her heart drops to her stomach and she swallows the building saliva in her mouth. Just a week ago she used to not believe in figures lurking in the shadows…

 _Werewolf._

Bleidd was a…

"Werewolf," she finishes out loud to her unbelieving mind.

At first she's thinking how crazy she sounds and just how _thrilled_ Jeanette would be to hear that something from her stupid fantasy books was real—but then her thoughts get disrupted as a new, unsettling thought gets stuck in her head.

If things like werewolves and whatever that weird black thing was that had attacked her existed… _then what else was out there?_

But she doesn't have much time to dwell on that thought for soft footsteps can be heard, walking across the old floor. She holds her breath sub-consciously when she can sense that the footsteps had stopped right in front of the closest door. Closing her eyes, she prays and hopes that whatever was out there would just keep walking on, but to her terror, she begins to hear the old, rusting doorknob begin to twist. She could already hear the screeching violin music in the background playing in her head like this were a horror movie she were watching and she could feel her heart pound louder in her chest like an intense drum beat to add to her anxiety. The butterflies in her stomach began to flutter with an unsettling urgency as she scooted herself as far away as she could while the door began to open. If only her body would just chill out…

Her eyes are beginning to burn with heat and she's mentally preparing herself to make a break for it as the door swings slowly open. A scream is building up in her throat as the broad-shouldered figure leans down and she prepares herself…

" _Don't scream,_ " a familiar voice whispers.

Immediately Brittany's throat deflates of its fearful air as a comforting air fills them back up. _Alvin._

"Stand up," Alvin lowly speaks, hardly audible for her ears to catch. "We need to get out of here."

Brittany nods her head and stands as he follows her lead. Looking up at him, she finds him stepping away for her to get out of the small closet, and the moment she's out, she quietly whispers, "Where's Bleidd?" He had gone off in such a hurry…with disturbing sounds…

"Busy—now follow me and don't make a sound," he responds.

She nods her head again and shadows his masculine figure, oddly feeling like she was playing follow the leader with a ghost when the darkness becomes too much. By the time they reached what she recognized as the kitchen, Alvin headed over to the same door she had escaped through earlier and opened it, ushering her to go through first. The cool air greeted them both eagerly as it scared any heat they had on their body off.

Brittany shivered and took the lead as Alvin motioned for her to head around the house, just like she had earlier. She can't help but heave out a sigh, slightly irritated as she's having a sensation of déjà vu. They wouldn't even have to be doing this if he had just let her escape in the first place…

Alvin placed a warm hand on her shoulder, stopping her as he began to scan the area like an alert dog. Brittany furrows her eyebrows as she, too, tried to examine the area. Then Alvin's eyes look up. Brittany stared at him curiously, hesitantly glimpsing up at the starry night sky, tracing with dark clouds blotching the clear view like splattered paint, when her eyes slowly fall back down to his sky blue eyes.

He was taller than what she had expected, with her head barely the height of his chin. She couldn't help but wonder if he was a werewolf as well, considering his well-built size… She searched his hands and ears, finding nothing abnormal—but then she caught something flicker in his eyes. She blinked, not quite sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her, and as she craned her head a little to get a better view of his eyes, she froze in place, unmistakably seeing a repeat from the past.

His eyes…that same gold liquid she had seen the first time she ever locked eyes with him was beginning to splurge and surge out of the blacks of his eyes, trying to fill in the clear sky blue. An uneasy feeling began to fill the air around her, and just before she could ask if he was alright, she got distracted by his grip her shoulder, which had begun to get tighter. His eyes suddenly narrowed and she once again tried to follow his gaze. How come she couldn't see what he was seeing?

"Go— _run!_ " Alvin suddenly shouted, giving her a push.

Brittany instantly began to run, and as she rounded the corner only to find the same wooden fence blocking their way, she can't help but exhale deeply. She already had to do this once… _gah._ Why did things like this have to happen to her? Was she cursed or something? She certainly felt like it. Biting her lower lip, she dove for the small opening she had crawled through earlier, her wrist beginning to slightly sting.

Brittany has to pause for a moment to try and tough out the burns, and before she knows it, Alvin was already there on the other side, pulling her effortlessly through like she were on oil. When he sets her on her feet, he grabs her hand and they run.

* * *

 **A bit of a longer chapter...and yes, that first part was a dream, if you're unsure of what it was...and I do have a reason for why Brittany can't remember her dreams...Bleidd is pronounced just like blade...his name is supposed to be Welsh for wolf apparently...**

 **And to any of you guys who are confused - I promise everything should start to make much more sense by at least the 6th chapter...and if not that, then by the end of the story. :) If you have any questions you'd like me to answer, I'd be more than happy to clarify them for you, unless it's something that will get answered later on in the story. Obviously I'm not going to realize if anything is confusing since I already know what the heck is going on...**

 **Anyway, again, as always, thanks so much for reading!**

 **And seriously an _infinity_ of thank yous for all of you who have reviewed, favorited, and/or followed! :D You guys seriously make me want to squeal like a little girl getting a new pet puppy. ;D**


	5. Chapter 5

She had no idea where they were going, and before she knows it, Alvin's hands had grabbed at her waist and he was picking her up. Letting out a surprised yelp, Brittany brought her knees up out of fear as the cool air danced with her hair.

"Hey—!" Brittany protested. "I can run!"

"I know—but you're not fast enough," Alvin simply says.

She scowls at him for merely a second before she gets distracted by the heavy panting noises heard behind her. Turning her head, she catches sight of a large, silver-furred wolf trailing behind them, easily picking up speed. Her eyes widen and she nearly shrieks when she sees the wolf reveals its sharp teeth, dripping with a thick, black tar-like substance. Urgently glancing over to Alvin to see if he was aware of this, she peers back behind them at the wolf who was now merely a few feet away. She swallowed the lump in her dry, exhausted throat, and when she makes eye contact with the wolf's eyes, the unsettling feeling bubbling within her begins to settle down. The wolf had dim blue eyes…

"Is that…" Brittany looked to Alvin who was still running at a great speed, not even appearing fazed or tired. "Is that Bleidd?!" she finally asked, glancing back at the large wolf whose fur shimmered like a field of silver grass in the whisking wind.

"Yep," Alvin replied, "and he's your next express…" He glances over at her with a smirk as her face drops.

"Wh-what?!" she shrieks. Her hands quickly grasped onto where his were, like doing this would guarantee her stay right there in that position. What exactly was he planning to do?!

Snickering, he rolls his eyes and glances back at Bleidd. Nodding his head like he were having a silent conversation with the werewolf, he then says, much to Brittany's horror, "Get ready to grip onto his fur—"

"What?!" she shrills once again, but before she can reprimand him, she's suddenly tossed up into the air like a ball.

Screaming as her stomach joins her and she falls, Brittany suddenly lands on something soft and rough that smelled much like wet dog. She opened her sealed eyes as her hands quickly locked onto the thick skin of the werewolf beneath her, gasping, quite shocked she had even managed to do this. She turned to shoot a glare at the jerk who had just risked her life, only to find he was no longer there.

She frowned and clung closer to the wolf when he suddenly jumped high up into the air, pressing against a building, then another one, and another one, eventually reaching his way up to the rooftops of one of the buildings, and from there, he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. Honestly, she was more shocked that someone as old as Bleidd could even _do_ something like this, rather than experiencing a ride that could've easily ended in her fatality. Deep inside of her, she knew that Bleidd would never be able to die from such a fall, like she would—and this thought never crossed her mind until later.

It didn't take long for Brittany to instantly realize where Bleidd was taking her once she caught sight of it. They were going to her apartment complex. She hoped Jeanette was there and alright…she currently had no idea where her bespectacled sister was, and she only hoped Eleanor had actually arrived to the diner in one piece. It had just occurred to her that maybe Eleanor never made it there and she didn't even know… She was beginning to overthink every possibility.

When Belidd landed gracefully on the top floor to the apartment, Brittany slipped off his back and rushed to her apartment door. Quickly twisting the doorknob, hoping it was unlocked, which to her delight it was, she bursted through the door to find the living room lights were on. The comforting homey smell of vanilla filled her lungs.

"Eleanor?" a soft voice called, and Jeanette appeared at the end of the hallway looking like a light at the end of a dark tunnel

"Oh, my gosh," Brittany sighs, running to her sister and embracing her tightly.

"Brittany!" Jeanette says, quite shocked, a small smile forming on her face.

"I was so worried about you!—how are you?—are you okay? You're not hurt are you?" Brittany stops inspecting her sister when she finds a stranger standing in the middle of their living room. Her eyes narrow at him in confusion, for he wasn't exactly a new face. He was the same bespectacled boy she had seen standing at the bottom of this apartment complex, and the same one she had ran into earlier today.

Releasing her sister, Brittany examines the ocean blue-eyed boy, not trying to hide the fact that she was judging him right that second. His dark brown hair was short and ruffled, and he was dressed very similar to Alvin—he almost resembled him even, in a taller, nerdier-looking way…sort of…she wondered if he was just as rash? At that moment, she almost wished he was that stupid jerk. She wanted to give him a piece of her mind…throwing her up recklessly like that…! What if Bleidd had suddenly gotten a heart attack and couldn't get to her like he was expected to do? Then what?

"Oh, u-um," Jeanette timidly speaks up, pulling Brittany out of her thoughts. "Brittany, th-this is…um…" Jeanette politely cleared her throat. "Simon…" She clasped her hands behind her back, passing a small, shy smile to the boy.

"Did Alvin bring you here? Where is he?" the bespectacled boy, Simon, immediately asks after nodding at her as a "hello."

"No," Brittany slowly says, "Bleidd did…" She walks past Simon, her eyes lingering on him for a moment, before she heads to the screen door to peer outside. "And I don't know where he is," she added hastily.

She could tell Simon was eager about something, and perhaps maybe even…a little bit anxious? Whatever—that wasn't even what caught her main attention. What did catch her attention was the fact that this Simon-boy knew who Alvin was. They weren't related, by any chance, were they? Because maybe, just in case she would never get the chance to rat Alvin out, she could do it to his sibling, and he'd be generous enough to pass it along.

Just as she was about to turn around, a quick blur of black suddenly jumped across her vision, disappearing almost instantly. Hesitantly turning around, waiting a bit to see if she would see that black movement again, Brittany opened her mouth to fire a much waited question, but she got cut off from the front door suddenly opening and slamming shut.

"More keep on coming. I think we'll be safe for tonight, though," Alvin says as he suddenly comes into sight, appearing a little more disheveled than he was when Brittany had last seen him. "But we need to leave tomorrow. This town is no longer safe. Too many have died tonight—more will come."

"Alvin you didn't…" the bespectacled boy had begun.

"She was in danger!" Alvin shot, a finger in Brittany's direction.

Brittany immediately begins to feel like a third-wheeler to the conversation when both blue eyes of the boys are staring at her and she doesn't even have a single clue as to what they're talking about. _Please don't tell me this is all_ my _fault,_ she angrily thinks, placing her hands on her hips with narrowed eyes. As far as she was concerned, she had a clean slate. Whatever jumbo-mumbo crap they were talking about was completely and entirely not _her_ fault. She hoped…. And what did they mean by _"she was in danger"?_ The questions in her head were beginning to expand.

"What else was I supposed to do?!" Alvin flails his hands up, running a hand through his indie-styled hair. And that's when Brittany catches it. There's something black, crusted at the ends of his hair, reminding her of the tar-like substance dripping out of Bleidd's mouth. It had the same weird glossiness to it.

Simon sighs. "Well, you could've—"

"No! I couldn't have!" Alvin fires.

Simon falls silent for a little while as he stares back at Alvin, eventually murmuring quietly, "Well, if that's the case…" He sighs. "We're going to have to leave as soon as possible…"

Brittany could no longer take it anymore. A couple of strangers—one who was a stalker and the other who was downright crazy—were babbling off like obnoxious walruses having a competition to see who could be the loudest—and only _they_ could understand what the heck they were saying to each other because they practically were talking in a whole different language that only _they_ knew! It was final. They were practically speaking walrus-talk to each other, and it was about time they spoke in _her_ language— _English!_

"Can somebody _please_ tell me what the heck is going on?!" Brittany abruptly shouts, glaring at both boys. She hadn't even realized how _beyond_ frustrated she was until now.

She didn't understand a single thing of what they were talking about, she didn't know what that tar-like substance was, she didn't know what those black things were, she didn't know why she was in danger— _she didn't know ANYTHING._ And she hated not knowing things. She hated not understanding what was going on—especially if she was a part of it and didn't even know she had been signed up for it. It was downright irritating.

"Listen—me and my sisters aren't leaving _anywhere,_ if that's what you're implying—that we come along?" Both boys dropped their gaze, Alvin crossing his arms and Simon slowly nodding his head while doing so. _"_ Not until we know what the heck is going on," Brittany huffs, stepping between the two silent boys expectantly.

Alvin, who seemed to be getting more agitated, let out an exasperated sigh. Brittany shot him a scowl, crossing her arms quite vexed. What was his _problem?_ She's barely even known him for an hour, and yet here he was, thinking he could just march inside her shared apartment and tell her that they needed to leave? He didn't even _introduce_ himself properly yet!—and neither has she to him! Yet here he was acting like this was a normal thing done on a daily basis because _obviously_ it was completely normal to ask someone you've only known for less than a day to leave with you—ha, _no!_ Could his brain be any smaller?

"Well," Simon calmly sighs, readjusting his glasses. "We've got all night… We were planning on explaining to you girls once we left this town…but I guess sooner than later is best. It is about time you girls learned what you should've a long time ago. At this point, we really can't afford to just leave you here..."

"'Wait," Jeanette suddenly speaks up, biting her lower lip when she realizes she's in the spotlight. "Y-Y-You say we're in danger…" she cautiously says, waiting to hear a denial in her statement.

 _None._

Brittany could see the disappointment flood into her sister's face—she was really hoping one of the two boys would say something opposing… Sighing, Jeanette finishes quietly, "What about our sister, Eleanor? She's still out there too…wouldn't something happen to her if she tried to walk home alone?"

Brittany eagerly looked to both of the boys. That's right. Eleanor was still out there. Any second now, they could just offer and say they'll at least escort Eleanor home safely, or at least say something about how Eleanor wasn't in danger like they were…that was mostly all that the two sisters would've liked to hear.

"You don't have to worry about your younger sister," Simon says reassuringly, glancing between both Brittany and Jeanette, who were both relieved, yet their uncertain faces said otherwise, Brittany's especially. "She is being watched carefully under surveillance. And when her shift ends, our brother will take her home…"

Brittany stares between Simon and Alvin. So they were brothers…and sadly there was another one of them. Now that Eleanor wasn't as big of a problem in her mind, the other thing bothering her in her head was beginning to take rein back over in her mind with an intense aggressiveness: they still hadn't answered her question yet, whereas they answered Jeanette's question, and she had a whole lot more ready to fire away at them—if one of them _didn't_ start speaking up _soon_ …

"Relax," Alvin suddenly mumbles, walking past her to look out the screen door. Pursing his lips, he suddenly closed the curtain, turning around to face her. "I can practically feel your annoyance through all five senses. Your emotions will be your greatest weakness. Be careful with how much you show. You're like an invisible wall, unable to hide its contents that lie within. Learn how to control that, and you can survive all of this."

Staring at him with narrowed, confused eyes, Brittany slowly turned away from him, looking over at Simon. He seemed smart—like maybe his brain wasn't full of water… What the heck was Alvin even talking about anyways? That was completely off from what she had asked… In fact, hearing that was practically like she had just received a shot of irritation pumped into her blood.

"He's right, you know," Simon confirms, only increasing Brittany's confusion. They were probably a thousand miles away from her original question now...

"Almost everything corrupted out there can read you like an open book and find your weaknesses in the blink of an eye," he went on. "Basically, what my brother was trying to tell you is: your feeling of irritation right now is a potential of cutting loose the small amount of time we have now—it's going to draw those black creatures, you've now seen twice, quickly to where we are. They'll be able to track you faster, once they already know what your scent and aura feels like—which a couple of them already do. Listen to him when he tells you to 'relax' because he genuinely means it at the moment."

Brittany shifted her weight uncomfortably in the soles of her feet, exhaling deeply, trying her best to release some of her annoyance for the sake of their time. She really didn't want to listen to them just because it was Alvin who had said it, and at the moment, she really didn't want to obey him because that meant she had to admit that her irritation was the main problem here, when really it was the fact that none of them were properly answering her questions. Plus she was still mad at Alvin, even though she was now fine with riding on Bleidd's back.

Of course this was _her_ fault now, though…if only they would just answer her stupid questions already, then maybe she wouldn't be so worked up! _Relax,_ Brittany snorted inwardly as she crossed her arms with a huff, suddenly beginning to feel a stinging buzz on her wrists. When she peered down to check out the problem, she pursed her lips, trying her best to conceal her frown. Apparently she had gotten too distracted with everything to not even realize the large chunk of ripped skin that had torn off on not one, but _both_ wrists, during her fall to the ground at Bleidd's house… For once, she didn't want to attract any attention on her because then, she felt, it would draw in more negative things to attack her…such as _weakness,_ and she was _not_ weak…

She had felt this tingling feeling throughout her expedition and slight detour here on her wrists…however she never realized it was _this_ bad. She knew well enough that she'd be feeling some slight, obnoxious pain for the next few days, and that was definitely something she was dreading… These kinds of injuries were seriously the worst simple wounds anyone could get. She just knew with her luck, it'd get infected. In fact, it looked like it was _already_ beginning to get yellow…

Without a sound, Alvin was suddenly in front of her, peering down at her wrists as well. Her body jumped when he had grabbed at the uninjured side of her wrists to examine the injured side, alerting her of his presence. Heaving out a heavy sigh, he called out, "Si, can you get the Amaryllis Phoenix petals?" and he grabbed her hands, her palms still facing up, pulling her over to the couch and sitting her down. She had opened her mouth to speak, but immediately clamped it shut when she realized he didn't criticize her when she was so sure he would be the first to do so.

Behind Alvin, Simon had nodded his head, catching sight of her wrists, and went to the corner of the small living room where a black backpack rested against the wall. He began to dig through it, pulling small bundles of what appeared to be wrapped in large, thick leaves and checking them.

Jeanette curiously had come over to see what was wrong, and a small gasp escaped her lips. "Wh-what happened? Are you okay?" She quickly kneeled beside where Alvin stood.

"Oh, um, don't worry about it…" Brittany began, slightly distracted from trying to see what Simon was pulling out.

"She was stupid and fell," Alvin grumbled, taking a moment to glance behind him.

 _She's been wondering when he'd say something like that._ Brittany had decided if he never said anything rude to her about this fall, then maybe she'd have to reconsider what she had thought of him. But now…he was just activating a ticking time bomb.

"Excuse me?" Brittany snapped, crossing her arms only to quickly undo her actions with a small "Ouch" escaping her lips.

"See?" Alvin muttered, taking the bundle Simon had handed him as he began to unwrap it and kneel down on one knee in front of her. "She just proved it right there."

Brittany shot him a glare, hoping it really pierced through his soul. "It was _you_ who had dumped me in that creepy old room, with nothing but a _rotten_ wool blanket!" she huffed. "How was _I_ supposed to know Bleidd's place was supposed to be some babysitting place? And why did you even bring me there in the first place?! Why couldn't you have just taken me here?!" she exclaimed, acting like this was the most logical thing he could've done. She probably wouldn't have tried to have escaped— _it undoubtedly wouldn't have even crossed her mind, actually._

"Because, _Brittany,_ " Alvin stressed, momentarily pinching the bridge of his nose. "You were _bleeding_ —we needed to mask your scent to help give you time to heal without leading those barghests to where you live!—and your sister wouldn't have been safe! Plus I needed to talk to Bleidd! So there!—now do you get it?!"

"Wait, a what?!" She contorted her face. "What the heck are you even—a bar-what—?"

"—ghest," Alvin filled in. "Now shut up and I promise we'll explain later—when your other sister gets here—alright? We'll answer any questions you have. But until then," he gave her an earnest, begging look (which seemed slightly amplified to her since he was basically down on his knees), " _please_ just wait. Don't want to have to repeat myself," he then grumbled as he grabbed hold of her hands, pulling them apart roughly, for her right hand had been gripping tightly onto her left hand. She had been doing this to try and tough out the pain and refrain from touching it.

Alvin set each of her hands down on both knees, with her palms facing up, telling her to keep them in that position. Then he began to pick at what was inside the leafy bundle.

Jeanette scooted over a little bit, leaning over curiously to see what was in his hand. She had to brush a few strands of her brown hair out of her face from her messy bun. "What exactly is this…um, Amar-ryllis Phoenix...petals…?" she ended slowly, trying to make sure she spoke each word right. Her lips parted when she caught sight of the fiery, blazing red, diamond-shaped flower petals.

"The Amaryllis Phoenix flower," Simon spoke up, "is a rare, beautiful, red flower, found only in the Inferno forest…."

Brittany fell into a slight trance at the brilliant shade of ruby red as Alvin pulled out two, fairly large petals and handed Simon the small bundle back. She quickly lost her anger due to the new main attraction. The petals had a slight sparkling effect, making them appear like glitter had been lightly sprinkled over them—they were absolutely _stunning_.

"And, a little fun fact: the Inferno forest is called that because every night, these remarkable flowers glow in the moonlight, each petal lighting up like a feather on fire… So, in short, when you're in the forest and you pass a flower patch of the Amaryllis Phoenix flower, it's said to look like the forest is on fire…" Simon handed Jeanette a petal so she could see it herself. She delicately ran her finger over the surface of the shimmering petal with awe, holding it carefully like it was made of glass.

"It looks like the forest is on fire…?" Brittany mumbled, staring contently as Alvin placed each, soft petal, which felt like silk, on her open wounds and pressed down on them, afterwards wrapping his hands firmly over her wrists. At first she felt the stinging pain from her wounds, but that changed. Rapidly, she began to feel a sparking, tingling feeling in place of the pain. It was beginning to get increasingly warm where Alvin's hands were, too.

"Of course, the Inferno forest is one of the most dangerous ones out there," Simon continued. "I've never been to it before. It's supposed to have some of the most dangerous things living in it. Alvin has been there, but…uh…other than that…" Simon shrugged. "All I'm telling you are what I've heard, learned, and know through other travelers about this forest. Mind you, these flowers are very rare, and only bloom on a solar eclipse," he added, gently handling the petal Jeanette was giving back to him, "so, because of how vast and enormous the Inferno forest is, it's not very likely you'll come across one of these patches.

"These flowers are in high demand and are explicably rare to find at street markets—even at Willow Shadow Market's you can't ever find these—we were lucky Alvin was even actually able to come across them. In the past, however, according to legend, before the forest somehow let's say, 'changed,' it used to be covered with an abundance of these flowers, making it really live up to its name."

Jeanette seemed quite intrigued by everything the tall, bespectacled boy had to say. Brittany could practically see her little sister's brain bursting with so many questions, going off like fireworks. She could only guess how Jeanette was feeling about this. Her whole life she's been fantasizing about all of the wonders the world just didn't seem to hold.

"Wait, so…how do those light up like a feather on fire?" Jeanette asked, glimpsing between both brothers.

"Well…" Simon began with a calm smile on his face.

That's when Brittany zoned out on his complicated words. She stared at the flat TV screen across from her in a hypnotic state, her ears barely hearing the two voices in the background. The Inferno forest, the Amaryllis Phoenix flower—this probably wasn't even 1% of it all, was it? Earlier Simon had mentioned she and her sisters were supposed to have learned all of this by now… How come they didn't know a single thing about any of this…?

"It really is one of the most beautiful things out there," Alvin suddenly murmured, low enough that only Brittany could hear. She blinked, dropping her gaze down to him. She had almost forgotten he was even there.

When he saw he had her full attention, he answered her earlier question: "It does look like the forest is on fire—but not in a threatening way. It's one of those moments you never can forget—you know, like those silly human-being moments when a boy and girl see each other from a distant and walk past each other, their eyes still on each other, and they turn at the exact same moment to talk to each other because there's that 'spark.'" He shook his head like that was nonsense and completely rash.

Brittany leaned back from him a little, raising her eyebrows.

"What, do you find the idea of true love at first sight ridiculous or something?" she shot. That was considered a classic moment! How could he think so poorly of it? She did not get it. Didn't his _kind_ have something like this? Or were they really that different?

Alvin must've been able to read her mind because he soon shook his head with a grim smile and a heartless chuckle. That confused Brittany. After a moment, he then nodded his head over in the direction where Simon and Jeanette now stood, beside the screen door. Simon was opening the closed curtains slightly, and—

Jeanette gasped loudly. Brittany could feel her mouth fall slightly agape as her ice blue eyes stared in awe at the fiery, feathery-like petal, glittering like the sunlight was hitting a thousand gems, rather than the moonlight on a red flower petal. Both sisters shared the same expression. The sight really wasn't much, considering it was just one petal Simon was holding up, but it was enough to prove to Brittany that what Alvin said was true…and in that moment, she wanted more than anything to be able to witness this Inferno forest herself. She honestly didn't care anymore about living a normal life—all she wanted now was anything _but_ that. She's been living in this dull town for what felt like forever…she wanted to see something that was extravagant with an undefined beauty that could change her perspective of things…and it seemed like this other side of the world had it all.

Sure, she's seen lovely emerald necklaces and magnificent diamond rings…but those things didn't even compare to the way that one petal looked.

"Like a feather on fire…" Brittany murmured with much thought. Turning to the boy before her, finding his eyes still were on the flaming, sparkling petal, she then asked, "Is that why it's called the Amaryllis Phoenix flower? Because it's supposed to look like a…" She felt incredibly weird saying this, for she now knew that this creature actually probably existed, but: "Like a phoenix?"

"Hmm," Alvin hummed in thought. "Yes and no. And you'll see why…" He peered over at her with his clear sky blue eyes. She couldn't help but stare, remembering the gold that used to pulse out of the cores of his eyes. She wondered if he was aware of it—if that was a natural thing, but she didn't have time to think about it much longer, for he said something she didn't quite hear.

Brittany cocked her head a little, when he suddenly glanced down to where his hands were. Her eyes followed in pursuit. Slowly, he then released his hands on her wrists, and she could feel a burst of cool air where his hands had been flood in. When he pulled his hands away, she blinked, feeling her soft, baby-like skin. Her wounds were completely healed.

* * *

 **It's actually really fun to come up with different places and names for things...even though I kind of struggle with coming up with the actual names for them... ;P There's so much I have planned! :D Oh my gosh! This is so exciting! And just so you know, I will be putting all sorts of weird mythical creatures into this story, and taking all sorts of magical "facts" into this as well. I'm stealing and mixing information/ideas from all sorts of bases, and definitely creating new things, too.**

 **So things like The Inferno forest and the Amaryllis Phoenix flower is only just the start of it all...as well as that one black market place...(love how I can't even remember the name I gave it right now)...  
**

 **Thank you so much for reading!**

 **And thank you so much for the reviews you guys! You're all so sweet! And awesome! And fabulous! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

"It's called the Amaryllis Phoenix mainly because it can heal any wound like phoenix tears can," Alvin said. "The way it appears like fire in the moonlight is just a bonus, I guess, with how it lives up to its name." He shrugged, coming to a stand.

Brittany continued to stare at her wrists. Looking up at Alvin, she then asked, "Wait, so…where's the petal? What happens to that?"

"Oh, through heat the petal will melt, and that's how it transfers its healing properties to your injury—that's why I placed my hands over it," he stated, stretching his arms out.

"Can I see?" Jeanette's voice softly called, and she came over, sitting on the couch besides Brittany.

Brittany gave her sister her wrist, watching as Simon went his black backpack. She slightly shuddered, feeling Jeanette's soft, cold fingers gently glide over her healed skin.

Jeanette looked up with wide eyes. "Oh, sorry, did that hurt or…?"

Shaking her head, Brittany glimpsed over at the clock on the oven. It was almost 1:00 A.M. Eleanor would be back soon. Now what were they supposed to do to kill time? Since they weren't allowed to ask any actual questions yet about their situation… Her eyes wandered over to where Alvin now stood beside Simon in the corner of the room, exchanging soft-spoken words. She exhaled deeply. She could understand where he was coming at when he said he didn't want to have to repeat things…but still. Couldn't he at least answer just a few, simple questions? Like the enormous big ones that just kept floating to the top of her head, getting bigger and more attention?

She's never wanted to throw the pot full of dirt stuffed with the _Aloe vera_ plant, Eleanor had _insisted_ on getting for good uses, this badly at someone in her entire life except for this moment. It was just to her left, in arms reach… Plus they always had that healing flower they just used on her to heal any injuries she may cause…

She exhaled deeply, dropping her forehead into her left hand, using her knee as a base for her elbow to sit on.

"Wow," she heard Jeanette sigh with amazement. She was still holding her wrist. "This is incredible—I mean, think of all the differences this would make if the doctors we had here knew about this…it would be…"

"A disaster," Alvin abruptly spoke up. "There's a reason why we keep average people out of this world. It's too dangerous for them. Our world is best unknown to them. Having them not know about us keeps certain dangers at bay, even though all of us are always in danger in one way or another from our own kind. People have a tendency to become greedy—they would probably swipe everything we have out and waste it—experiment on it. Plus everything only works in a certain way with a certain thing—in our magical dimension, our elements and powers are stronger and connect with everything. The human world doesn't.

"The only reason why our world can survive along human beings is because we tend to stick with our own magical kind and blend in. Now there are certain people that can live in our world because they can handle it properly; however, the majority can't. Don't ever share or show anything that doesn't belong in the human world. Keep them separate. We're all best at peace that way. Too much chaos would arise if we were to ever mix. Believe me. It's happened in the past and it just doesn't work out."

"Oh…" Jeanette shyly rubbed her arm, finally releasing Brittany's wrist. "I…I-I guess th-that makes…um…sense…" she quietly ended.

Pursing her lips, Brittany looked up at Alvin. "So…what makes us so special to be in your world then?" she asked, crossing her legs and arms. She was finally beginning to connect the dots with why her sisters didn't remember anything. She figured she must've been their mistake and they had forgotten to do whatever it was they did to her sisters to her… "I mean we're normal human beings, too…"

Alvin blankly stared at her as he held something for Simon. Apparently Simon was reorganizing everything in his backpack…or he was looking for something and just didn't want to set anything on the ground. Either way, Brittany wouldn't blame him for not wanting to set anything on the ground—that corner of the room probably had become a graveyard of dust full of decayed insect and spider corpses. Nobody ever went in that corner of the room, and she was fairly certain that was the one corner of the room that always seemed to get forgotten about when Eleanor was cleaning the place.

Alvin's face finally changed once he pursed his lips, shaking his head at her slowly with hard eyes. "You naturally belong in our world," he stated, causing Brittany to raise her eyebrows. "Your parents just were trying to keep you from it…I guess…"

"'Parents'? Oh, no, we never knew our parents," Jeanette informed, sliding her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.

"Ha, yeah—unless you're talking about Ms. Miller…" Brittany started, playing with the tips of her ponytail. Ms. Miller, their crazy, lovable guardian was currently off on some Malibu getaway trip she had unsurprisingly won from playing bingo (" _Ciao!_ " she had bellowed to them as she tried to go through the wrong entrance). Brittany highly doubted Ms. Miller had intentionally tried to keep anything from them—she could hardly keep any secrets herself—not even if her life depended on it. One way or another, it'd somehow slip out.

"Your birth parents are…" Alvin began.

"Dead, yeah," Brittany filled in, shrugging. At this point, she didn't exactly care about them anymore because Ms. Miller had taken their place.

"That makes sense then…" he muttered, switching whatever he had been holding with another item Simon had given him.

Brittany opened her mouth to comment, but froze when she realized something. "Wait, wait, wait…" She stood up, walking over to where the two brothers remained in the corner of the room. She laughed heartlessly, "I think I misheard you wrong. You said we naturally _belong_ in your world…."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Alvin scoffed. "No, you heard me right…"

She contorted her face. She couldn't tell if he was amused or unsettled with the idea... Like, perhaps maybe he was pulling a rude trick on her.

The sound of the front door slamming shut sounded off, and moments later, a familiar voice rang out: "Brittany? Jeanette? You girls here?"

Brittany would've responded back, but when she opened her mouth, she just couldn't find the words to speak. She was way too caught up with what the boy in front of her had just said, still trying to read his indecipherable face.

"Um, yeah, we're just in the living room…." Jeanette softly called out.

After a few seconds, Eleanor appeared from the hallway looking quite flushed. Her low, blonde pigtails were slightly frizzy, her cheeks were rosy, and the boy following right behind her was even more exhausted than she was. The moment Eleanor moved to run towards Jeanette to give her a hug, the dark, blonde-haired boy slowly began his tread over to where his brothers were. And when Brittany saw him, she had to do a double take.

"You?" Brittany shot, glimpsing back over at Alvin for a moment. "So, you guys _have_ been following us everywhere…" Turning, she made eye contact with her youngest sister and smiled, walking over to give her a hug.

"Brittany," Eleanor had lowly begun, eyeing the three brothers in the far corner of the room that had begun to talk softly amongst each other. It looked like they were getting into an argument. Eleanor pulled her two sisters along closer to the screen door. "What's going on?" she hissed quietly. "We heard _one_ crunchingnoise and _BAM!_ —we were running! He seemed so concerned and I was seriously considering not letting him in since I thought he might be a lunatic!—but then there's this _wolf_ -thing outside our front door and Theodore says _hello_ to it like it wasn't going to think about eating us!"

Suddenly Eleanor blinked, her brown eyes wandering and widening. "Oh my gosh!—what happened to your dress!—to you!"

"'Wolf-thing'?" Jeanette questioned, blinking at Brittany. "There wasn't a wolf waiting outside our door when you came here, was there?" She then took a few steps backwards to look down the hallway, her head tilting a little.

Brittany sighed, trying to hide the tear in her dress before she crossed her arms. "Don't worry about the dress!—I'm fine, see?" she stretched her arms out. "And no!—there wasn't a wolf when I came here!—that 'wolf-thing' is Bleidd and he's a _werewolf!_ Alright?!" She honestly didn't know why she was getting frustrated. It's not like they were supposed to know what happened to her, who Bleidd was, and the fact that werewolves actually existed and most likely every other fantasy creature out there did as well...

"What?!—you know that wolf too?! That's what Theodore called it when he said hi!" Eleanor fumed at the same time Jeanette exclaimed "Werewolf?!"

It was hard for Brittany to not want to strangle someone and shout at her sisters a rude remark. _Ugh_ — _why couldn't those stupid brothers have just…!_ She exhaled deeply, opening her mouth to speak as calmly as she could when she heard Simon clear his throat. Turning around heavily, she found the three boys were now standing in the middle of their living room, side by side, lined up in alphabetical order, Alvin starting the line on the left side, being the furthest one away.

"We're ready to answer your questions," Simon simply stated, pursing his lips as invited them to sit.

The three Miller sisters glanced from one another, their eyes reflecting off of each other's quickly like a streak of light on mirrors, and with a sigh, Brittany lead the way back to the couch and plopped herself down, followed by Eleanor and Jeanette. _Finally,_ she couldn't help but rejoice in her head as all of her frustrations left.

The room became oddly quiet, and she looked around, finding that Simon's eyes were on her, creating a domino effect, for eventually Theodore's, then Jeanette's, then Eleanor's eyes were on her. Brittany simply continued the movement soundlessly as she stared expectantly at Alvin to go ahead and start speaking. If he didn't want to repeat himself, then she didn't want to repeat herself either. She knew he knew what she wanted to ask already…

Alvin lightly snickered as he stared back at her, rolling his eyes. "Of course," she could hear him mutter as he crossed his arms. She flashed him a brief smile that was overdosed with all the sugar in the world.

"Where do I start?" he questioned, clueless, causing her to roll her eyes. She could see straight through his fake acting.

"Just start!" she growled, grabbing the pillow next to her and throwing it.

Alvin easily caught it, shaking his head at her with a smirk. Handing Simon the pillow, who rolled his eyes and passed it to Jeanette with an apologetic smile, Alvin sighed as he began to speak. He explained first, mostly to Eleanor, that the globe had basically two separate worlds—two separate dimensions—the one full of regular human-beings, and the other one where he and his brothers belonged in, full of everything the girls ever thought of as make-believe.

He then continued to explain about a particular creature from their world called a barghest, explaining it was a large, dark creature that mostly took the form of either a goblin or wolf—in this case, it's been taking form as a wolf. These dark creatures, if they were in the form of a goblin, had blue skin with a hint of rustic red to it; if they were in the form of a wolf, they had black, spastic fur that shot out like spiky shadows—that was what Brittany saw in the library (except, it was taking the form of a human at first, which was explained to be rare). Barghests were almost impossible to kill, and they never leave a target alone until it's dead. What was the most disturbing thing Alvin mentioned was the fact that these creatures fed on blood and souls, and nothing more. He told them that this creature was one of the main reasons why the Miller sisters were in danger right now.

And that didn't settle right with any of the girls, especially Brittany.

"Wait, so…" Brittany began, beginning to feel slightly sick to her stomach. She felt like her tongue was swelling, just thinking about the taste as the horrific images in her mind covered in blood spilled back into her memory…

So, it was a barghest she had seen leaning over her sister's body…and it was drinking her blood—it was _eating_ her _soul._ What would've happened if the boys hadn't have showed up? She glimpsed to Jeanette. She never considered them to be lucky that the three brothers were there until now. She then glimpsed to Eleanor, having felt her staring at her this whole time.

It was then, in that moment, that Eleanor finally understood what Brittany had been freaking out about this past Saturday morning. Eleanor's pretty brown eyes gradually began to widen.

"What happened Friday night?" she slowly asked, glancing up between the three brothers.

Simon glanced to Jeanette, while Alvin continued to stare at Eleanor, and Theodore simply dropped his gaze, twiddling his thumbs.

"Are we supposed to…?" Eleanor cautiously began, coming to a stand. She then peered over at Brittany, who nodded her head faintly. "Of course…in your world, you guys have magic..." she was hesitant with using that word "…right?"

"Yes," Simon sighed, pealing his gaze off of Jeanette like his eyes had been glued to her to stare Eleanor in the eyes. "We do."

"What did you do?!" Eleanor accused, taking a step forward. Jeanette was on the edge of the couch, and Brittany had slowly stood, crossing her arms.

"We used a Memory Charm on you," he calmly stated.

"What?!" Eleanor shrieked, her voice bouncing off the walls like it were lost. "You had _no right_ to do that! You can't just play around with people's memories like that! That's not fair!"

"Technically, it's a mind trick—we didn't take anything from you…" Simon had inputted, but Eleanor wasn't going to have it.

"And what about Brittany? How come she remembers everything? Why did you take away mine and Jeanette's memories?! Who knows how Brittany's been feeling being the only one who remembers!"

As Eleanor continued with her rant, Brittany could tell Simon's patience demeanor was dying away as he closed his eyes. His jaw had tightened and he was folding his arms across his chest, taking in deep breaths. For a moment she thought he would explode, and that concerned her. She didn't want him to lash out on Eleanor…although she also couldn't blame her little sister for needing to vent this all out. She already knew she would be just as furious if she were in her position, in fact, probably even more…

When she looked to Alvin to see if he could tell something was stirring in Simon, she found he had hard eyes and was murmuring words that passed silently into Simon's ears. It wasn't long until Theodore was suddenly by Eleanor's side, touching her arm. Apparently he had the magic touch because immediately Eleanor's voice died down, and she heaved out a hot, angry breath, her face completely red as it softened and she glanced over at the dark, blonde-haired boy, who merely passed her a small, gentle smile. As Eleanor slowly looked over at Simon, it was easy to tell that she knew she had gone off on her tantrum for far too long.

"I'm sorry if that was a bit much…" she reluctantly, yet sincerely apologized. She was clearly still pumped up about this with hot air.

Simon nodded his head, opening his eyes. "It was only fair to let you do that, since we did technically violate your rights to choose."

Eleanor nodded her head, pursing her lips as she fixed her pleated, mint green skirt uncomfortably.

"We can reverse the trick on your mind and give you back your memories…" Alvin muttered, still staring with hard eyes. He clearly wasn't too happy with the way Eleanor had to go off on Simon like that, and that slightly irritated Brittany. He couldn't blame Eleanor for wanting to express her feelings like that…she knew exactly what it was like to feel like you were talking to a brick that supposedly was supposed to be good at listening and understanding everything.

"Alright, we'll give you your memories back," Alvin sighed. "Si…?" he glanced to his brother.

Simon nodded his head.

"Wait…" Brittany called out. Her sisters looked to her with confused faces. They obviously wanted this, but…

"Brittany, we want our memories back," Eleanor began.

"No, I know, it's just…" Brittany pursed her lips when she looked to her emerald-eyed sister, clad in a pair of dark blue jeans and lilac cardigan that was over a lighter purple cami.

Simon nodded his head. "I understand what you mean, but, it's their choice…"

Brittany chewed her bottom lip uncomfortably as she watched Simon explain to Eleanor and Jeanette what he was about to do. As much as she wanted to know and see how he had managed to alter their memory, along with no longer being the only one who experienced that Friday night, she really didn't want Jeanette to gain her memory back. She didn't want Jeanette to remember being terrified and being all alone and feeling helpless when it happened…she didn't want her to remember the pain it must've caused her.

As Eleanor sat down due to Simon's instructions, he then told her to close her eyes and breathe, to keep her mind open, and not block anything out. Nodding her head as the youngest Miller did so, Simon then placed his index and middle fingers on the temples of her head and kept them there for a few seconds. After a while, Eleanor suddenly gasped as she jerked away and snapped her eyes wide open, looking quite shocked as her flickering eyes found their way to the floor, saying she was fine and that she was just...startled. Her sudden action didn't alarm Brittany as much as it would've if she hadn't have gotten distracted by something else that also occurred to Eleanor.

The moment Eleanor's eyes opened, Brittany saw something—she saw a swirling, neon light blue glowing in her irises, quickly moving out of sight like splashing water. It was fascinating and strange all at the same time. It seemed so surreal to her…she could hardly believe what was actually happening. She thought she was completely solid and comfortable with the idea of magic and there being practically a whole other world out there…but now, she knew she really wasn't ready. How was she expected to accept all of this in basically one sitting? This new discovery had been dumped on her, not nicely handed to her on a platter.

It was like she had just been locked out of her own world and had to travel across the seven seas, fight a thousand armies, fly into the sun without burning up, and retrieve the key back to her world all on her own, with nothing but a stupid manual for how to fix cars. She felt like she was expected to do all of those things and figure them out on her own, even though she had her sisters and the three brothers to help aid her and keep her on track. Still, though, in the end, it would have to be herself who would get herself to accept all of this and figure it all out. No one could force her to admit to any of this. They could only influence and encourage her.

By the time Simon was moving on to Jeanette, kneeling down in front of her, Brittany began to lightly bite at her thumb nail, knowing very well that this was an awful thing she could ever do to her nail, but she couldn't help it. She _really_ wished Jeanette didn't want her memories back… But considering the way her sisters looked at her when she tried to say something about this, her words were nothing but selfish discouragements to them.

"She'll be alright," Alvin suddenly said.

Brittany glimpsed to her left, not having noticed him standing there. "How do you know?" she grumbled behind her thumbnail, pulling it away and crossing her arms. She didn't want to give herself an ugly nail _and_ have to deal with knowing Jeanette wouldn't feel as safe as she did now… She knew it'd take a while for Jeanette to be able to feel safe again once she remembered.

"Because I know my brother," Alvin stated, keeping his voice quiet.

Simon then glanced over in their direction momentarily before he placed his fingers on Jeanette's temples.

"See?"

Brittany's face twisted into confusion. "See _what?_ " she snorted, not finding any significance in Simon glancing their way, probably telling them to be prepared…to get ready. Her stomach churned at the thought. The memories were probably breaking free from whatever locked away, secret storage Simon had placed the memories in Jeanette's head. It would only be a few moments now until Jeanette could see each memory like a horror film playing on a broken TV, making it impossible to make the movie stop. She just knew that once Jeanette remembered it, her voice would continue where it had left off before she collapsed and bled out on the ground. And she wasn't sure if she'd be able to handle the screaming.

After what felt like a much anticipated moment, Jeanette finally made her first reaction; however, she didn't respond in the way Brittany was positive she would have. Instead of the dramatic scene Brittany had been mentally preparing herself for, Jeanette merely scrunched her face up uncomfortably, keeping her eyes squeezed shut as Simon murmured something to her, dropping his hands to her shoulders in a reassuring manner. Jeanette nodded her head vigorously as Simon said another few soft spoken words to her. Eleanor had suddenly placed a hand on Jeanette's hands, which were clasped together tightly in her lap.

When Jeanette opened her emerald, clear orbs, her eyes slightly glazing over, she offered her audience a small smile.

"I'm fine…just…just a little shaken up," Brittany managed to catch her shy sister's soft voice say. She pursed her lips.

Coming to a stand, Simon then came over to where Alvin and Brittany stood. He quickly glimpsed back on Brittany's sisters, quietly saying, "I gave Eleanor her full memories back…however, for Jeanette…" He fixed his ocean blue eyes on Brittany. "I gave her most of her memories back. I may or may not have altered the part where she got attacked with something a little more subtle…such as, she was still conscious and unharmed when we arrived, but then fainted quickly afterwards…" He began to scratch the back of his neck with a sheepish smile, moving out of the way so they could all see how Brittany's sisters were doing.

Brittany sighed deeply, thanking Simon silently with her eyes. She didn't even bother to glance in Alvin's direction, for she already knew he had something smug written across his face. Oh how she wanted to grab a permanent pink marker and renovate that smugness into something pretty in pink that screamed quite the opposite.

She then felt Alvin bump his arm against her shoulder, and he said: "C'mon. There are still some things you girls will need to know…and I'm sure you've got a long list of questions."

When she looked up, she found he was he was serious. There wasn't a trace of laughter echoing through his face that she thought was sounding off in his head. Dropping her gaze, she nodded her head and moved to sit beside her sisters. Theodore stood from his spot from kneeling on the ground in front of Eleanor and Jeanette, smiling gently at Brittany when she took her seat beside Eleanor.

In all honestly, Brittany wasn't even sure of what to ask anymore. There just seemed to be too many questions building a brick wall around her, and she wasn't sure which one would help break down the high barrier that had been built around her. It would take more than just this one night to free herself from this small space of knowledge she knew now…

"S-So that…that animal I saw—that _thing_ …" Jeanette began with a shaky breath. "It's a…?"

"Barghest? Yes," Simon replied as he walked curiously over to _Aloe vera_ plant.

"But why Jeanette? Why us?" Eleanor chimed in. "There are plenty of other people out there that roam the streets alone… Was it just bad place, unlucky timing?"

"We wondered about that," Simon spoke softly. "It was really strange to see a barghest in the middle of a public town." He looked up from touching the pointy, thick green leaf. "Normally, barghests leave humans alone and stick to attacking supernatural blood. Human blood is like choosing to eat a single, tasteless berry over a larger, self-satisfying meal."

"Yeah," Theodore piped up. "Barghests normally don't cluster themselves either, yet there was a ton surrounding this town…which is the main reason why we decided to check out this place. And then we found you three…" He grinned shyly at the end.

"And it seemed like you guys were special because the barghests wouldn't leave you guys alone—so we stuck around, kept an eye on you guys—not intentionally trying to be creepy, of course," Simon added.

Eleanor cocked her head with a self-controlled smile Brittany could see was on the verge of showing disappointment. "So that's why you came into the diner to visit me every day," Eleanor sighed, looking at Theodore with a softened face. "You were there keeping an eye on me…"

Theodore lightly smiled, dropping his forest green eyes to the ground.

As the conversation droned on and Eleanor and Jeanette continued with their questions that seemed to be getting further and further away from them ever hearing the answer as to why these barghests wouldn't leave them alone, Brittany soon found her mind wandering back to the conversation she had with Alvin earlier. He said she and her sisters belonged in his world… She didn't get that. Was he meaning that factually? Or what…? She obviously wouldn't know him well enough to be able to tell if he was fooling around…even though that option seemed ridiculous… She just wanted to keep an open mind, though.

"...magical blood does smell incredibly strong to these barghests once it's shed…human blood not so much…"

Brittany zoned in when Simon stated that, after answering Jeanette's question about how well these barghests could smell blood, because apparently she had cut her finger on a book earlier that day while at the library by accident, and she seemed to assume maybe that was the cause…

"I-It was stupid, r-really, um…I was, um," Jeanette had pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose as a blush began to seep through her cheeks, "I… Well, let's just say I was thumbing through a book when I accidentally ran into one of the…um…bookshelves…and I gave myself a—a pretty bad—pretty bad paper cut…." She bit her bottom lip afterwards and kept her gaze skating across the ground.

Brittany couldn't help but roll her eyes at Jeanette—that was so typical of her to do something like that… She froze up when suddenly a new thought occurred to her. Brittany wasn't quite positive about this, but normally she and her sisters told everything to each other—literally, _everything_. There really wasn't much to talk about, considering the news never had anything interesting. ..(she was convinced they lived in the Universe's most boring town…).

But…it's been a while since any of the girls had any blood spill injuries.

Alvin said they belonged in his world. Simon said that magical blood was something that attracted barghests. Weren't all beings belonging in Alvin's world supernatural in one way or another?—meaning, they were all considered to have magical blood?

As the gears in Brittany's mind began to turn, her lips slightly parted as she came to an astounding conclusion that seemed quite ridiculous, yet it made the most sense… She now knew what question to ask.

"What are we?"

* * *

 **I originally was going to have these black things be demons, but then I decided to see if I could find something a little different that matched my description I've been giving you guys...then I somehow discovered barghests, and they fit the profile I wanted...so... Yeah, I didn't even know about these creatures until this story...  
Just curious: Did any of you guys know about barghests?**

 **Anyways, this and the next chapter are kind of crash courses, so...I hope it's still somewhat exciting?  
**

 **Thanks so much for reading!**

 **And thank you for the reviews! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

It was as if he had been waiting for her to ask this the whole entire time because when Brittany looked up, she could've sworn— _no_ —she _knew_ there was a slight smile on his face—a smug look that said: "I knew you'd figure it out first." There was no doubt Alvin had been staring at her this whole time—probably waiting for her to figure it all out. He had given her the foundation for the answer, probably knowing his other brothers would build on it, basically giving her the number one answer that would knock down all of her other petty questions. It all seemed too obvious now. Why hadn't she have figured this out earlier? She felt incredibly stupid.

"And there's the billion dollar question," Alvin mumbled under the silence that had suddenly fallen, smirking.

"Wait, but…" Eleanor began, her voice quickly fading away as she glimpsed between each of the brothers. "I thought… You said…" her mouth fell agape as she thought things through first. "You never said anything about us not having magical blood…did you?" she questioned. "You just emphasized how magical blood was highly desired…"

Brittany kept her gaze on Alvin as she felt her heart pulse her blood throughout her body. Even though she's lived with this blood her whole entire life, she couldn't help but feel like the red liquid running through her veins was foreign…it strangely felt renewed. She felt like she had been injected with a new substance that was supposed to change her and her abilities.

"So, we're not exactly as human as we thought we were…" Jeanette quietly said, thoughtfully staring off inside her own world.

Simon nodded his head as he crossed his arms. "That's right. You girls never knew it, of course, since your guardian may not have known…well, actually, I'm not sure about that…" he paused, staring at each of the girls. Shaking his head, he continued, "But anyways, we didn't know either at first—which is beside my point. What I'm trying to get at is: you need to understand how important your value is and that you are fairly rare to come by nowadays… You're worth more than you think, and more than how I'm saying this…

"And because you don't know a single thing about how to defend yourselves properly nor a single thing about your kind, and because we have become acquainted…and because it is our calling to keep everything in balance…we feel it is our responsibility to make sure your kind don't go extinct, and most importantly of all: to make sure your blood doesn't go to use for dark pleasures."

"Dark pleasures…?" Brittany echoed, raising an eyebrow at him.

The Miller sisters stared speechless at him. None of them knew how to exactly react. They were basically being told that they were worth more than the original Mona Lisa painting…they were worth more than the Queen of England's crowned jewels…they were worth dying for. After all, why would these three strange boys even _bother_ staying with them and keeping watch on them when all that's been following them like a lost puppy, trying to settle down within their home, was _mayhem?_ Something was trying to kill them and these boys were putting their own lives first.

"Asterians," Alvin spoke up. "That's what you guys are called. And as stupid as this may sound to you—you better take me seriously when I say you carry a kind of blood most desired among the majority of creatures: star blood. Or, similarly, others refer to it as unicorn blood, even though it's fairly different when actually compared to it. There's no doubt that's why you've drawn so many barghests here—your blood—and soon, who knows what else will come…which is why we need to leave as soon as possible. Either that, or you girls _will_ die probably a very painful death, and your blood will get used for chaos. "

Brittany had to force out a sarcastic laugh. He actually looked dead serious.

"You're joking," she frowned. "So, you're saying we have…what—unicorn blood? What's so special about that?"

She really didn't see what was so superior about being this so-called "Asterian." It sounded so—it just made her sound like she was a different race, with a different ethnicity. It basically made her feel like someone had just told her she wasn't American—she was secretly Australian or something else. As far as she knew, she had no powers and there wasn't any special thing she could do that would impress this magical dimension—she only had talent to impress regular people. How could her blood be any more special than being simply her own blood?

They kept saying how their blood was special and it was important for them to understand their value—but she had a hard time accepting this when everything's been completely normal her whole life until now. She's never witnessed anything strange or abnormal about herself…nor her sisters.

Simon opened his mouth, but a different much higher voice to everyone's surprise, spoke up first.

"Brittany!" Jeanette gasped. "Don't you know anything about unicorns and their blood? The fact that they say our blood is like theirs, and perhaps even better, is actually quite big! How can you just treat it like a joke?" she inquired, staring at Brittany like this was critical information she _obviously_ should know—which she clearly didn't.

Brittany didn't have a single clue. And neither did Eleanor because she shared the exact same muddled facial expression as Brittany did. They both were thinking the same thing as they stared at their bespectacled sister with bewildered eyes: _Jeanette has been reading_ way _too many fantasy books_.

"What?! Both of you don't know anything about them?" Jeanette asked, her eyes going large behind her glasses. "I—I can't believe it—I mean—you do know at least what they look right, right?"

Brittany had to roll her eyes at this. "Jeanette—of _course_ we know what they look like! Everyone knows what they look like!" she exclaimed, flailing her arms up. "We just don't see any _significance_ in having freaking unicorn blood!"

"Star blood—" Simon corrected.

"Whatever!—shut up!" Brittany put her hand up to tell him to stop his voice before she continued talking skeptically to her sister. "I mean, what exactly do you know? We're not unicorns—we don't have a horn poking out of our forehead like they do!" she huffed, crossing her arms.

Eleanor heaved out a sigh, narrowing her eyes at Brittany. "What she _means_ ," she calmly began, fixing her gaze on their bespectacled sister, "is that this all sounds really just over the top of our heads, and it'd be nice if you would please explain, er— _why_ this is such a big deal…?"

"Oh, right, well…" Jeanette trailed off, glancing up to the three boys who had remained quiet this whole time. It was like she had just discovered their existence because her face suddenly began to heat up and she quickly looked down to her hands uncomfortably. "W-W-Well…I…I guess I can't say much, c-considering I only know what I've read from books…and um, we're talking about star blood, which is different from unicorn blood." She shyly looked up. "You guys are probably—I-I mean most definitely know more than I do. And you know accurate information…so maybe you should just, um, take over…"

"No, no—please, carry on," Simon encouraged. "I'm curious with what humans have depicted these magnificent creatures to be like. I want to know if they've actually written about them accurately or not or if they've ultimately ruined these creatures like they seem to have done to the limited few creatures they seem to 'know' anything about..." He ended with an open smile.

Jeanette looked up at the three boys, clearly unsure if this was something she should talk about still.

"It's okay if you get the information wrong," Theodore gently smiled. "I still get things wrong all the time. And it's not like we expect you to know. This kind of information isn't common for beings who have lived 'normal' lives. It's not like it's your fault for saying false information anyways. We're just curious—we're not here to judge you."

"Oh, well, um…okay…" Jeanette wrung each of her fingers with her hands. Exhaling deeply, she started, "I'm just talking about unicorns, right? Like, not about what we are…right? Because I've never heard or well, read about…us…"

Simon and Theodore nodded their heads, while Alvin kept a blank face and stared at her, clenching his jaw.

"Right, okay," Jeanette took in another deep breath. "Well, here it goes…" She looked up to make sure there weren't any second thoughts or objections with her doing this, before starting: "Unicorns are the purest creatures out there. They're also very magical, and it's very rare to see them…" She bit her lip and glanced up at Simon questioningly, wondering if she should already end, but when he nodded his head at her, she hesitantly continued.

Brittany merely dropped her head into her hand during all of this. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She loved her sister…but this was slightly humiliating… She knew it'd take some time until she was solely, entirely, _completely_ okay to accept all of this and treat it like common knowledge. She could hardly imagine herself saying information like this with a serious face, though…

"…they only approach their kind, as well as someone who is pure in the heart, mind, and soul. These gentle creatures are very rare, and they have a lifespan that goes until the ends of time. Basically, they're immortal…and that's it." Jeanette shrugged, pursing her lips.

"Hmm, that's actually fairly accurate," Simon nodded his head thoughtfully. "With the exceptions of missing information, however," he added, pursing his lips. A small smile gradually took place on his face.

"Oh, and what might that be…?" Jeanette curiously asked, her nervousness slightly fading away.

"Consuming unicorn blood can create a mortal being to become immortal, and there are some other things…but they're not important at the moment," he stated, glancing towards Alvin who was giving him a look.

"We need you girls to get ready to leave—" Alvin abruptly said.

"Wait—!" Brittany exclaimed. She still didn't understand exactly what she and her sisters _were_. They've been talking about unicorns this whole time—not Asterians. "Just quickly explain to us why being an Asterian-star-blood—whatever!—just explain!" she slumped against the back of the couch, crossing her arms.

Heaving out a much exaggerated sigh, Alvin pursed his lips, staring at her with annoyed sky blue eyes. After a short staring contest, he finally released his tight jaw and spoke: "Asterians, like I said, basically have the same kind of blood that unicorns do. Your blood is a white, silvery substance, just like unicorns, and consuming it can grant someone eternal life or take it away. You _are_ powerful in ways no one understands—which makes you valuable. You'll see soon. Now save any questions you have for later and start packing—we'll have _plenty_ of time to talk..."

"But our blood isn't that weird white, silvery-whatever stuff you explained it to be like…" Brittany pointed out confusedly, remembering vividly that the blood spilling out of Jeanette was _crimson_. Alvin glared at her, clearly getting more irritated due to his eagerness to leave, but Brittany mirrored his expression stubbornly, not caring. There was no way she was going anywhere with them until this piece of information was cleared up. Who knows? What if this whole entire thing _was_ a scam? They would be taking this pretty far…and she'd be more than just pissed. She'd be a hurricane, ready to swipe them out.

"Yeah," Eleanor joined in. "I'm pretty sure our whole life our blood has been red…are you sure?" She looked at the boys suspiciously. It was obvious she was beginning to doubt everything she had just heard as well.

"I can explain that, actually," Simon cut in, much to Alvin's annoyance. He was practically on the edge of a cliff, ready to tip over. Brittany scowled at him, finding herself getting irritated too. Couldn't they just take a _few_ more minutes to discuss this? It wasn't that much time.

"That's actually what threw us off, at first," Simon went on, regardless to Alvin's heavy huff and cross of the arms. "We couldn't tell what exactly you were, since your blood was human red… We could sense something different about you three, but it was very slight. Eventually, later on, however, your blood began to reveal its true color, and that's when we knew…" He walked over to the _Aloe vera_ plant, inspecting it like it held so many discoveries and treasures within.

"I believe it's this plant here, that's been concealing your true blood's color…you've been inhaling the air it breathes out, which certainly isn't your typical oxygen. I can feel there's some sort of enchantment cast upon it—probably a type of concealment spell for protection…? Where did you get it?" the bespectacled boy turned to glance at all three girls.

Immediately both Brittany and Jeanette looked at Eleanor, who was pursing her lips. When she realized the spotlight was on her, she glanced around with a clueless face. "What?" she questioned. "You girls were with me too!"

"But you're the one who _insisted_ on buying it. In fact, it was from Ms. Plumpridge, wasn't it? You bought it from her the first day we actually moved in here," Brittany stated, making a face of disgust as the memory came back to her. She didn't know why Eleanor gave in to that lady. Of course this plant was enchanted. If there was anyone the Millers had come across that was suspicious to be a supernatural being, Ms. Plumpridge would be at the top of the list.

"Well—I didn't want to be rude—plus it was cheap—and I thought it'd be nice to have some greenery in our apartment," Eleanor defensively said, shrugging her shoulders. "And the properties _Aloe vera_ gel has on the skin are really good!" she puffed out, crossing her arms.

"Actually," Theodore spoke up, having wandered over to the plant during the girls' small argument. "I think it's a good thing that Eleanor got this plant," he said while touching one of the thick, green leaves. "You're actually quite fortunate to come across this. It's been protecting you this whole time—it's probably one of the reasons you've even lasted this long knowing nothing about us and having no problems with the darkness that's out there...until now…"

Theodore then murmured something to Simon that the girls couldn't quite hear.

"Alright—now you know the basics—can we _please_ get ready to go?" Alvin sighed, gritting his teeth.

Simon pursed his lips, nodding his head slightly to Theodore, before glancing across the room at the time on the oven and exhaling deeply through his mouth "He's right—you girls probably should be getting ready to go…that is, if you've chosen to come along…?"

All three of the boys stared at the girls with poker faces. It was like this was some final test they were waiting to hear if they had passed. Brittany looked to her sisters, collecting their thoughts as they silently passed them along to each other through each other's eyes. It was clear to her that her sisters, just like herself, still didn't quite understand any of this…Jeanette was probably the most confident out of all of them with the knowledge they've learned…but they knew enough that it probably would be best to go, considering all that they've witnessed. All that Brittany's witnessed.

Brittany slowly nodded her head, dropping her gaze to the floor first for a moment, before bringing it up to meet each of the boy's gazes.

"We're coming."

.

It took a while for the sisters to pack everything they felt they needed was important into their sports backpacks they had used from high school. Each of them had their problems choosing what was most important and valuable for them to take along. Honestly, neither of the girls really knew what to pack or how to dress, so they guessed and changed their outfits they thought was suitable (Brittany was more than happy to change her torn dress—she hadn't realized how wrecked she looked!—it definitely irritated her no one bothered to tell her she looked like she had just been to Hell and back).

According to the boys, they'd be traveling quite a ways to get to the place the boys felt was safest for the girls to be at and for them to be able to safely learn about their world...neither of the girls knew how comfortable they felt about it. Their safe haven was supposed to be with a man called David Seville. He was one of the few human beings that knew properly about supernatural beings and everything unnatural to normal, and he was one of the only ones that were safe to be around, who didn't have a corrupted mind full of sinister thoughts… Apparently he would be their teacher and new guardian until they were ready to leave.

It was a lot to swallow at first, but neither of the Miller sisters regurgitated this plan, and they ended up forcing themselves to swallow it whole. It's not like they had any better ideas anyways…

By the time dawn was slowly approaching, creeping over the town as it hid behind the cloudy, crying skies, dimly lighting up the drowning town in its reflecting gray lights, everyone was ready to leave. Bleidd, who had been laying guard outside the girls' apartment door, the whole time, abruptly stood when they opened the door, ready to take their leave.

The air smelled of petrichor and the soft drumming of droplets of water echoed against the metal railings. As they all filed out into the cool air with steady faces, Simon and Theodore nodded their head to Bleidd in acknowledgement, whereas Alvin walked over and spoke a few mumbled words to him off to the side. Eleanor was still alarmed by the sight and barely managed a decent smile as she followed closely behind Theodore and SImon; Jeanette on the other hand, couldn't help but stare at the great wolf in awe with eyes the size of the moon as she soaked in the sight the words she read on paper could never show to her.

Eleanor ended up grabbing hold of her hand to guarantee her bespectacled sister didn't go wandering close to that…creature.

Brittany stayed back and waited for Alvin to finish up speaking whatever it was he had to say to Bleidd. She wanted to properly thank the old man…well, werewolf. It would be rude of her to not say anything after all that he's done for her, even though he didn't present himself with the most pleasant greeting—and she had slightly grown fond of him. She didn't hate him like she did at first anymore, and he was no longer a silhouette in the dark she was afraid of.

As Alvin nodded his head to the wolf, probably saying his goodbye, Brittany stepped forward and took this opportunity to say her own farewell and thanks. Bleidd simply bowed his head, closing his shady blue eyes in response. Alvin gently pushed Brittany's shoulder as he passed her, indicating for her to turn around and follow him. When she did and was about ready to head down the stairs, she took one last glance behind her and found Bleidd was gone. Blinking, she slowly turned around when a thought occurred to her.

"Ms. Miller…"

Alvin turned to look back at her with raised eyebrows. He was halfway down the metal stairs, about ready to take the next step.

"I need to leave her a note, at least—or else she'll be _worried_ sick…" Brittany then hastily added when Alvin gave her an exasperated look, "You don't know how _crazy_ she can get! And I promise it won't take me that long. I'm just going to leave a note on the fridge or something for her…"

He heaved out a sigh, nodding his head. "You do understand you'll probably never come back here, right?" he softly spoke, bringing his eyes to meet hers.

She hesitated to respond, but Brittany did nod her head.

"Alright. Be quick," he heavily said, dropping his gaze.

Nodding her head, Brittany turned on her heel and headed back inside her apartment, thinking over what he had just said. She moved quickly as she found a piece of paper and scribbled down a brief explanation to Ms. Miller, saying something around the lines that she and her sisters were out on some world trip vacation and probably wouldn't be back for a while…

As she looked over what she had wrote down in the black ink, she pursed her lips. Was what she had written realistic and believable? No…. Eleanor would never agree to such a thing, and Jeanette, well…of course she would say yes, but even if this was something they wanted, they certainly didn't have enough money, so she'd be forced to say no due to the realities. But would Ms. Miller believe it? _Yes._ And that's all that mattered.

Brittany sighed as she went to pin the note against the fridge with a magnet. Pursing her lips, slowly backing away, her heart whispered a goodbye, and she turned around and headed down the hallway, passing hers and her sister's bedrooms, not daring to take a glance. She knew if she looked, she'd be caught up in the trap her soon to be lonely apartment had set for her, in hopes to make her stay. By the time she was outside, she finally turned around and stared at the tan painted door with the golden letters of 12 screwed in it just below the peephole. It was strange to think that this would most likely be the last time she ever saw this door again.

She had no doubt that rumors of lies for her and her sisters' disappearance would leak out of this door, due to the emptiness filling up inside their apartment. The jobs her sisters had would probably be the first to sound the alarm of their mysterious absence; the diner and library her sisters worked at knew very well that neither Jeanette nor Eleanor would never miss a day—not a single _second_ (a flaw Brittany had since she absolutely _hated_ her last job, which resulted in her departure a few weeks ago) _._

No one would ever know the truth as to why they left…and that left a strange feeling grasping at her heart. It would be like they never existed…

After a few more seconds passed by, Brittany tore her eyes and mind away from Apartment 12 and headed for the stairs, finding Alvin exactly where she had left him. She followed him down the next few flights of stairs, listening while their feet created a soft drum beat against the silver-painted metal.

It wasn't until they arrived on the fourth floor when Brittany slowed down her pace, halting just before the next flight of stairs while Alvin continued unaware of her sudden stop. This next floor would be the same floor Apartment 6 was on… She couldn't help but wonder if there was a stained carpet of red reaching out from beneath the door at anyone passing by. How many people had managed to see what she had seen? Did anyone know?

She swallowed, rubbing her fingers against each other as her palms began to get warm and sweaty. It was only yesterday when this happened…what if that royal pool of death still was there? What if that _thing_ was still hiding behind the door? She closed her eyes as she vividly remembered the creature from the library…

 _Barghest,_ her mind echoed.

Alvin said it was a…barghest…and that it was after her blood and soul…

How would it feel like to have your soul taken away from you? Is that what had happened to the man she saw…?

"Leaving so soon, dearie?" an old, chubby-filled, undeniably recognizable voice spoke compellingly.

 _Ms. Plumpridge_

"He's dead, you know," her voice had suddenly dropped darkly. There was a slight hint of humor in her voice that caused Brittany to slowly turn around and look at her when she had originally planned to avoid any full-blown conversation and not give this strange old lady even half of her attention.

"Ha—the _fool…_ dumb mutt…" Ms. Plumpridge sneered, shaking her head as she stroked her sausage fingers on the black cat she was holding with her left hand. "Can you believe it? He actually thought he could hide behind you and your sisters from the debt he owed—he should've known better. It was only a matter of time until they found him…after all, they always find liars like him…don't' they Pumpkin?" she cooed to her black cat.

Brittany could only stare at the lady with a look of horror. What was she _talking_ about?

Smiling sinisterly at the cat, the old lady before her looked up at her, cocking her head a little as she clicked her tongue and shook her head, causing the small stray strands of frizzy gray and white hair that had fallen out of the large, round, doughnut bun atop of her head to glide slowly across the air like they were underwater. "Well, I guess this town is no longer safe…there's no point in staying anymore… Time to leave," she sighed.

A hand suddenly gripped on Brittany's shoulder, causing her heart that was already on edge, jump to her throat, and she whipped her head around, quickly feeling relieved when she found Alvin standing strongly beside her.

"Ah," Ms. Plumpridge beamed with a wide, toothless grin, causing the crinkles around her moon-shaped, beady black eyes to stretch strangely, making her appear….oddly different. "That's right…the warrior…" her voice dropped forebodingly "…doomed for darkness… " Her face had changed.. "Hmm," she purred, "they say many things…I see many things…I know many things…but never did I learn that he would be strikingly handsome…" She licked her thin lips with her dry tongue that came out like a snake.

Brittany's face twisted uncomfortably and she stared, confused

Alvin's jaw had tightened as he kept his narrowed, sky blue eyes on the old lady. "C'mon," he murmured, grabbing hold of Brittany's hand and pulling her along as he led the way down the stairs.

Behind them, Ms. Plumpridge's laughs could be heard.

"Welcome back to this world, Brittany…it's about time you returned… After all, you were just a little girl…" the queer old lady dressed in her usual, old-fashioned, floral button down dress, said, cooing softly to her cat afterwards, "C'mon Pumpkin, time to gather what's left of your brothers and sisters…"

And as Alvin and Brittany rounded the small square platform that lead to the next flight of stairs, which would lead to the third floor, Brittany mindlessly stole a quick glance at Ms. Plumpridge whose words chased after her like a ghost, not even caring what floor they were approaching. She had to blink and rip her thrown eyes away from the sight. When she managed to steal one last glance, she didn't see the pale, beautiful young temptress grinning in a long, black, low cut dress made of shadows, whose jet black, wispy hair trailed down her bare back with a wicked flow on the wind that didn't exist anymore…

She simply saw the old fat lady, turning her close-lipped smile away from them as she stroked her black cat.

* * *

 **I hope this all made sense...? Ugh, and it was hard to come up with a name for the girls! I wanted something that actually sounded real, and the other name I had thought of was definitely not original. _Asteri_ is supposedly "star" in Greek, so...yep! That's where Asterian originated from because this is me trying to be all over the top and make everything match and work out with what they're called! ;D Wow, right?! Yeah, no...  
**

 **And thanks so much for reading!  
And thank you guys so very much for the reviews! I really appreciate them! :D  
**

 **If I had more time to write, I would definitely update this more often! But school can be a [insert swear word that starts with a capital "B"] sometimes and I'm overloaded. Again, thank you so much guys! My next update will probably be Sunday. :)  
**


	8. Chapter 8

Brittany didn't get an explanation for what had just happened until they were long gone, away from the apartment complex and on a glossy, black steam train, heading in a foreign direction.

She hardly paid much attention when they passed Apartment 6—which was clean and clear of anything that would make people wonder otherwise… Apartment 6 was no longer a big concern. She wanted to ask Alvin what the heck all of that was, and what Ms. Plumpridge meant and if he saw what she saw, but he never made eye contact with her or bothered to slow down their pace, and any conversation she tried to start as they rushed down the stairs never lasted long at all; she would always get abruptly jerked forward and the words caught in her mouth would get lost.

When they reached the base of the apartment complex, Brittany did try again to start another conversation about what had happened and demand what it all meant…but her voice got quickly overthrown. She barely was able to say "Alvin—" before she got interrupted. Clearly this wasn't the time to stop and talk about what just happened...and that filled her with irritation. She wanted to talk about it then and there. _Now._

It was a brief conversation between her sisters and Alvin's brothers of what was going on and what they were planning to do, as they all stood in a circle at the base of the apartment complex—all of it went straight through one ear and out the other for Brittany. Their words were completely pointless to her. She had no room left inside her head to hold any more information at the moment, and she didn't want to pay attention to what they were speaking about unless it was the discussion she wanted to talk about.

She was so confused and her mind was buzzing with a thousand swarming thoughts that they completely distracted and blinded her from what was happening around her.

If it weren't for the fact that Alvin was still holding her hand and towing her around like a pull dog toy connected by a string, she probably would've gotten lost and left behind somewhere. She missed seeing a lot while her body felt everything: the cold rain, the exhaustion from running and walking so fast, the warmth from his hand, the hot breath of air the train exhaled out once it stopped before them…

She didn't even realize how zoned out and wrapped around her thoughts she was until Alvin, who was now sitting directly across from her on the red-cushioned seat with golden railings, spoke up.

"She's a vetala…"

Hearing this caused Brittany to blink her out of her hypnotic state and look up at him.

"What?"

He was looking out the window covered in streaks from the rain at the passing scenery of...blackness. The steam train was currently inside a tunnel. The only thing there was to see through the glass window was the transparent mirror it reflected of the inside.

Brittany had no idea how long they had been riding this train, and for once, she didn't care and _hoped_ they actually had a wholelot more time to kill, because it seemed like she was finally now getting the discussion she wanted to have and there wouldn't be any disruptions.

"That so-called 'old' lady? Not even close to who she really is in reality," Alvin mumbled.

"Ms. Plumpridge…?" Brittany asked confusedly, which he nodded his head back in response.

"She's got a type of female spirit—a vetala—consuming her body—one that exists because her life was taken from her unjustly and she didn't have a proper burial. She's a spirit that's trapped between the boundaries of life and death, giving her the ability to see the past, present, and future…" he softly spoke, seeming enthralled by the darkness that continued to fill their open vision of the world outside through the window. "Vetalas can possess a corpse with no spirit and presume the life of that body during the day…and at night, well…generally they go out and cause havoc, or guard a place, whether it's where they were buried or the town they grew up in.

"However, the one we encountered is different and no longer is like your typical vetala that I've just explained to you. She's been around for a very long time…she's changed and evolved into something a little wiser and challenging compared to other vetalas. She's well-known and wanted by every hunter out there who wants someone to help them gain power over their enemies. According to Bleidd, who's been around for much longer than you think, used to know her, and her name was originally Emily when she was a human. She was your age when she was murdered… She's long forgotten that girl, though—she's forgotten herself—due to the extreme bitterness her death caused her…which leads us to her new birth and long-known name of: Eris."

Brittany stared at him as she tried to progress everything he had just said to her inside her head. Furrowing her eyebrows, she began, "So…that girl I momentarily saw…"

The image of the beautiful temptress flashed across Brittany's mind, her wicked lips that curved in a malevolent smile haunting her mind.

"That was Eris' true form," Alvin said. "She's brilliant…and loves to play games…she's someone you shouldn't ever mess with. She can twist a lie and make it the truth—break a deal and shatter it on you—she's extremely dangerous. If I knew that's where she's been hiding this whole time, I would've had us leave sooner…or avoided that place overall…"

Dropping her gaze down to her lap, Brittany pursed her lips. Eris definitely did look dangerous…no wonder Ms. Plumpridge seemed off from the start. It was weird to think that Ms. Plumpridge was originally dead when she and her sisters had met her… Brittany wondered how long Ms. Plumpridge had been dead…if it had been recently…if it was no accident her life was taken…?

Brittany then remembered Eris mentioning about the old man in Apartment 6, saying he was there originally to hide behind the protection she and her sisters somehow provided… She then remembered how Alvin said that Eris was wanted by hunters who knew of her, meaning she would want to be hiding in place that provided her some sort of protection…

Brittany couldn't help but wonder if Eris had taken the life of Ms. Plumpridge on purpose because she knew eventually Brittany and her sisters would be moving into that apartment complex, and that she needed protection the same way that old man in Apartment 6 needed it? But then again, wasn't Eris very powerful? Why would she even need protection? She gave the Miller sisters that _Aloe vera_ plant, though…and that was something that was apparently helping to protect them…she was also leaving now that they were leaving… It was easy to assume Eris wanted them to stay alive…but for her own _protection?_

Brittany couldn't help but contort her face. She was so confused… This would be so much easier if she had only grown up learning about this sort of thing. It definitely would've benefited her _so_ much more than taking those stupid math classes. How in the world was being around her and her sisters _safe_ when they were wanted and hunted down as well? Plus, they didn't have any powers they could use to physically defend themselves…

"Alvin," Brittany began, fixing her ice blue gaze on the said boy as he looked away from the blackness that still shown outside their window. She couldn't help but let her wavering gaze get sucked into staring at the blackness that he had just been staring at. She never knew that this train tunnel was this long…she's only heard about it and always thought that people were exaggerating it.

Still staring outside the window, she continued, "Ms. Plumpridge…I mean—" she closed her eyes shut tight, shaking her head as if this would help clear her mind. Reopening her eyes and fixing them on the boy in front of her, she corrected herself: "Eris. She, um, mentioned something about my sisters providing protection of some sort…that that's the reason why the man in Apartment 6…" She paused, remembering the blood, drooling out from beneath the door like it was the mouth of a hungry monster.

Alvin inhaled deeply, leaning over so his elbows rested on his knees. "Kurt," he sighed. "He's been on the run for centuries. And in order for you to understand why he was on the run, I'll have to explain to you his backstory, which I already know you're going to ask for so I'll just go ahead and tell you now…" he grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "You know you have a bad curiosity for wanting to know everything," he stated lazily, rolling his eyes up at her, causing Brittany to gawk at him in response.

"Excuse me?" she shot, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him. Being curious wasn't that bad…plus she wasn't _that_ awful about it…at least she didn't think so.

He snickered, shaking his head as he heaved out another sigh, dropping his head limply like it was a deflated balloon from the air he had just released. He then mumbled something about her persistency she couldn't quite catch, but she figured it was something quite offensive, so she kept her scowl on him and decided she'd just wait for him to start telling her about this backstory, rather than start an argument.

"Kurt's originally a werewolf, just like Bleidd—except unlike Bleidd, he didn't accept himself," Alvin began, dropping his hand from his neck and looking up at her. "Kurt didn't accept his other half and wanted to live a life where he would never have to worry about his inner-wolf…" His voice trailed off as he seemed to get lost in his thoughts. There was a hint of disapproval in his eyes…a hint of anger…

Brittany was about to open her mouth to ask why Kurt didn't like his werewolf side, but Alvin wasn't done talking.

"And…he was in love…" he murmured softly, darkly. "But not with a female of his own kind. He was in love with a mermaid…her name was Sienna…she was madly in love with him in return…"

Brittany nearly opened her mouth to exclaim about mermaids existing and question it, but she thought better of it and kept her lips sealed as she stared with large eyes full of wonder. This sort of thing was normal—she had to keep reminding herself that. It was a part of her world now. She seriously needed to start to believe in _every single_ creature that could exist out there. She needed to start believing that there was a creature out there that probably ate people's hearts—that mermaids of divine beauty existed—that it was possible for things like cyclopes, satyrs, dragons, and flowers that can heal any open wound, to exist. She needed to start thinking like this—that there was always probably something that existed that could do things supernaturally and abnormally of any sort.

"To Kurt and Sienna," Alvin continued, "the problem was simple, and the solution they would unwisely take to was the best option there was to make it so Kurt could happily remain in the form of a human being no matter what, and so that she would always be safe when around him and not worry about getting bitten from him… They made a deal with a powerful witch…one form for another… If the witch created the potion for Kurt so he would lose the part of him that was a werewolf, she could have Sienna's mermaid tail…"

"And they'd both be able to take the form of a human," Brittany resolved. "Right?"

Alvin flashed her a grim smirk, his eyes twinkling a little. "You'd think that's how simple it would be, huh? However, Sienna didn't want to lose her tail. She loved being a mermaid and being able to walk on legs when out of water as well…and Kurt wanted to respect her wishes...but he also was eager to kill off his werewolf side. So one night, he went out and stole the potion from the witch, knocking her out, betraying their deal. He didn't try and talk things over with her or anything of the sort—he simply stole the potion and lied to Sienna when they met up in their usual meeting place, saying that he resolved the deal differently…"

The slight smile Alvin had quickly vanished as he stared seriously at the ground. "Later that night, though, he would learn his mistake, and she would learn his lie…and things would never be the same again..."

Brittany stared at him, her face softening a little from his sudden change of mood and voice.

"When the witch woke up and figured out what had happened," he solemnly continued, "the darkness that was a part of this witch consumed her and she was blinded by her darker half and made sure they paid her back what they owed her. Enraged, she hunted them out and raped Sienna of her tail that night in the worst way while Kurt simply watched with horror and he…ran away…."

Brittany could now only stare in revulsion the moment she heard his words. It was like she had just seen the worst ending for a movie where the hero died saving his lover, except far worse… _far, far worse_ … This was a much twisted version. The hero in this story was no champion…he was a _coward…_ and he had left his lover for death.

Alvin glimpsed up at her, studying Brittany's face before he went on.

"By the time the witch's darkness subsided and she had officially completed their deal, making it equal by gaining her part of the original agreement violently like he had done so unfairly to her, she then realized what he had just done after hearing Sienna's sobs and her stressed voice calling out his name, and finding no trace of him. The witch was quickly infuriated by his actions for leaving his lover to defend for herself and for cheating her from the deal. She was a witch who believed in fairness and followed through every deal with how it should be, whether she would like to or not, and she knew this deal was unfair to Sienna…and that she didn't deserve this…but a deal was a deal and she couldn't take it back or fix it.

"So in that moment, she made up her mind and through her own fury, this witch used her magic to summon some barghests, and sent them after Kurt like hounds on a hunt, and they would only be free of her enchantment until they fulfilled her desired deed, which was taking Kurt's soul. That was the only way this witch felt would serve Sienna justice…for words could not mend what Sienna had just lost, and she knew that…" He dropped his gaze down to the floor, exhaling deeply. "And that's the reason why Kurt was on the run—because he knows he's done wrong and that he's in trouble."

"Now to the part that will explain about what Eris must've told you about the whole 'protection' thing: Your blood is very powerful, like I said, and it attracts many creatures, however, it can repel many other creatures as well, along with masking other creature's stenches they have, since your blood has an overpowering smell for certain creatures whose senses are heightened with their ability to smell. In certain ways, you're the perfect wall of protection to hide behind. Kurt probably assumed the witch would send something after him, and he must've guessed she would hire some vampires or perhaps some of his own kind to track him down…which is completely reasonable for him to think like that..."

"Wait," Jeanette's shy voice suddenly chimed in.

Brittany swiftly looked to her left where her sisters and Alvin's brothers sat across each other just like she and Alvin were. They were on the other side of the train, separated merely by the small-spaced aisle, allowing each other to be in arm's reach.

To say the least, Brittany was surprised. She had completely forgotten the presence of her sisters and his brothers sitting right beside them, in earshot. She had been so focused on her own thoughts and the words coming out of Alvin's mouth, she didn't realize sooner that it wasn't just her and Alvin on this seemingly empty train. It certainly felt like they were the only ones, since they were the only ones in their cart of the train she could see and she didn't hear her sisters conversing with his brothers, and if they were keeping a conversation between each other, they certainly weren't talking very loudly… _at all._

"Our blood repels…vampires?" Jeanette timidly asked, mindlessly rubbing her hands together close to her chest. .

"Yes," Alvin nodded his head.

"Wow…" she said with awe, a small smile gracing her lips.

"It's pretty cool, huh?" Theodore grinned, and the bespectacled girl nodded her head in response.

"So, I'm thinking once Kurt somehow discovered your girls' existence," Alvin continued, falling back on track with his explanation to Brittany and pulling her attention back in to him, "he made sure to keep himself as close as possible to where you lived, so he moved into Apartment 6 and stayed hidden there. As smart as he was thinking, he was also playing stupidly. If he knew that witch he made a deal with better, he would've known that she was incredibly clever…and that there was no way of escaping her."

Brittany slowly nodded her head. "Okay, I guess that makes sense…" Now that she had the old man in Apartment 6 somewhat solved…(she planned to ask more questions about him later). "What about Eris…?" she inquired, tugging on the sleeve of her neon pink jacket so it covered more of her hands. She didn't realize how cold they had gotten until now. "She was there for a reason too, right?"

Alvin nodded his head. "Basically same reason as Kurt, except, she knows that if there are any hunters out there that do happen to get close to finding her, she could tell them about you and your sisters as a bargain for her escape, and then they'd go after you and your sisters, therefore giving her time to pack her bags and take her leave…"

Brittany's mouth fell slightly agape. Was he serious? She was going to use them if worse came to worst for her? "So we really did have every reason to hate Ms. _Plumpridge,_ " she scorned, crossing her arms. Not that she expected any better from this vetala, but Eris seriously was such a…

"But of course," Alvin began, cutting off her train of thought. "Considering the town you girls had moved into, she knew she definitely wouldn't have to worry too much about the hunters, since this town really is that isolated and unknown about to most of the supernatural species…so her only problem was the people. They wouldn't have reacted too well to the color of your blood…which is the reason behind that enchanted plant she gave you girls that was in your living room…"

"Huh," Brittany huffed. "So she really _thought_ of _everything_ ," she grumbled. She wasn't sure if she should be grateful or not because Theodore said that plant was good for them, except it was from someone with bad intentions…

"More like she saw everything," Alvin corrected with a slight lopsided grin, reminding Brittany of Eris' ability to see the past, present, and… _future._

Ugh…she really _hated_ her…

"Um, sorry," Jeanette abruptly interrupted, sheepishly grinning as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, "but I couldn't help but overhear you guys talking about the old man on Apartment 6…I mean, um, Kurt… And I just have a few more questions to ask, before you get too far off topic about it, if you don't mind…?" She pursed her lips as she glimpsed between each of the boys, her eyes lastly landing on Alvin.

"Ah—" Simon cleared his throat. "I believe we were all listening to what you two were talking about once Brittany inquired about the ability of Asterian blood being able to protect," he stated matter-of-factly with a slight smirk on his face. "Hope you guys don't mind," he simply shrugged.

Alvin scoffed. "What—was your guys' conversation that boring?" he smugly grinned, appearing quite amused.

Simon rolled his eyes in response and leaned forward, resting his elbows against his knees like Alvin was as he peered past Theodore from his window seat. "Please can we stay on topic? I believe Jeanette has some questions she'd like to ask…" He then straightened up, crossing his arms across his navy blue T-shirt, smiling encouragingly at the emerald-eyed girl across from him.

Brittany could've sworn she saw Jeanette's cheeks tint a light red, but she shoved that thought aside for later, for she had her own questions to still ask Alvin, and perhaps Jeanette had a few of the same ones she wanted to hear the answer to.

"Alright, Jeanette—let's hear it," Brittany sighed, leaning back into her seat and getting comfortable.

"Right, um," Jeanette cleared her throat, placing her clasped hands in her lap. "So h-how long, _exactly_ , has this…Kurt…been on the run for?" she questioned, pursing her lips afterwards.

"Simon, you've got this one," Alvin mindlessly waved off to him.

"Right, of course," Simon muttered. "Ah…" he then glanced over to Alvin. "He's about six hundred full moons younger than Bleidd, isn't he?" he inquired, to which Alvin nodded his head. "Yeah, let's see…how to convert our time to one you girls would understand…" he mindlessly mumbled, using his fingers to keep track of whatever it was his brain was trying to solve.

In the meantime, Brittany glanced over to her sisters, who in return glanced back over at her. They all heard what he had said about having to convert time to something the girls would understand…and that slightly stressed each of them out. Were they going to have to relearn a new way to count the years? Did that include new months, days, weeks, and time-telling?

 _Please somebody knock me out before my brain explodes,_ Brittany sullenly thought, heaving out a sigh, when Simon suddenly chuckled.

"Don't worry—we grew up learning a different way to count time because of the time period we were born into, and about a hundred and a half years ago, our world changed telling time to something slightly more simplistic, which is the same way you girls have learned it," he reassured. "It's just since we grew up learning our way, which is counting time by events such as full moons, solar eclipses, and lunar eclipses, it's a whole lot easier for us to naturally use that way, but we do also, as well, keep up with telling time the way it is now told universally…"

"But why bother keeping up with your guys' original way?" Eleanor spoke up. "I mean, I get what you mean when you say it's easier—but that's a lot of extra brainwork…"she stated, making the same point Brittany had been thinking.

"Oh, well it's simple, really," Theodore began with a smile. "There are a ton of immortal beings from our world, and even though it's slightly rare to find creatures that time back to the beginning—they're known as the Elders—there are still some out there, and they use the lunar time because they prefer it that way, so it's really helpful to be able to understand and know how lunar time works because then you're able to understand what time period they're talking about. It's very rare that you'll find an Elder and they use the universal time generally everyone now uses. They're stubborn that way."

"Yes, they certainly are," Alvin suddenly grumbled, leaning up and slumping against the back of his seat.

"Except for Bleidd," Theodore added. "He's considered an Elder now, and he uses both times like us, right?" He looked to Alvin with curious green eyes, who simply nodded his head idly.

"Oh, okay, that makes sense, I guess..." Eleanor silently trailed off.

Simon then took this opportune moment to continue their conversation back on track with Jeanette's original question. "So, for the time length Kurt's been hunted down… He's been on the run since 1792."

All three of the Miler sister's jaws fell slightly agape.

"He's been on the run for that long?" Jeanette gasped.

"He's been _alive_ that long?" Brittany gawked with raised eyebrows, sitting up straight. "So…those things have been chasing him all this time until now…and…" She contorted her face. "Wait…"

"So," Alvin began to explain for her, seemingly to know what she was trying to say. "The barghests that were enchanted to track Kurt down, caught the scent of Jeanette's spilled blood, which due to your blood being uncontrollably desirable among barghests, it was strong enough to lure and distract these barghests from their mission, among many others, to where you girls lived, which eventually, when they got close to your apartment complex, they were able to catch scent of Kurt, which triggered their enchantment, which took control over their command and made them finish the job they were required to do for the spell to be broken."

"And...it was you guys who cleaned up the mess on Apartment 6...?" she asked, remembering how clean and sound it looked. There wasn't any police tape or signs that the authorities had been notified.

"We cleaned it up," he confirmed.

"Okay…and now," Brittany slowly began, "the bar…ghests…" the word still felt weird to say out loud…

"Are free to do whatever they want like the rest of the barghests, and now that some know the general area you girls live in, along with your smell, they won't stop hunting for you until they completely lose track of your scent," Alvin finished.

"Right," she muttered.

"So..."

Both Alvin and Brittany looked to Jeanette.

"The other question I had was—and I-I'm just curious…" Jeanette stuttered, mindlessly pushing her loose strands of hair from her messy bun behind her ear. "But, um, what happened, e-exactly, to, um…Sienna? You said the witch…took her tail…?" She looked at Alvin, her faltering gaze then looking to Theodore and Simon before returning back to Alvin.

Alvin glimpsed to his brothers, seeming to question them silently if they knew the answer and would like to share it instead, but neither of his brothers spoke up. They simply stared back in return.

"You know this story better than I do," Simon shrugged. "In fact, some of the things you said, I didn't even know," he mumbled, dropping his eyes to the floor thoughtfully as he crossed his arms and held his chin with his right hand.

Alvin slowly nodded his head, pursing his lips. He glanced out the window, whose scenery was still the black stomach of the tunnel the train was going through. He exhaled deeply, like this was something he really didn't want to talk about, but began anyways with: "No one really knows for sure, but while many others have said that Sienna is long dead and that her broken heart killed her off, quite a few also believe that Sienna is still alive, and weeps with great woe in a place they call the Garden of Agony…" And from there, he continued to explain the beliefs of what supposedly happened to her, and what she's become over the years from a broken love…

Apparently Sienna no longer was a beauty every man would gaze wondrously over with a lustful emotion…she no longer caused feelings of envy and longing inside every female that came across her…

The light in her pearl pink eyes no longer shined temptingly the way they used to...instead, her eyes were dull, and had darkened with hate. Her face was scarred with deep canals from her tears that continue to erode gradually away at her skin today… Her luscious, wavy, salt water-sprayed, mermaid caramel hair had lost its health and now stuck to her sickly pale, bare, slim body, damply covered in the crusting blood she had lost and continues to drain from not herself, but other beings that have the unfortunate luck of falling into her trap…

Her legs were scarred from each scale that had been ripped off from the once beautiful, burnt sienna-colored tail she had that glimmered with an astounding metallic-like redness to it… Her well-cared for nails were sharp like a cat's claw, rotting with a dried crimson substance at the tips. Her voice no longer was a melody so pleasant to put even a beast to sleep…she had overstrained it from her painful screams that was said to have caused any passersby to go deaf. Her smile was twisted and eerie, and had lost its light it brought forth to others, and it no longer lit up her face…

She had secluded herself in a small garden she blindly stumbled upon, one that is hard to find and mostly only found when she wants you to find it so she can give you her pleasures of pain, lost, and misery.

This garden was what people called, the Garden of Agony, for her tears and blood made up the small, murky pond that surrounded a small, grassy platform she sits on, weeping when she isn't busy with her victims and has nothing but her reflection to stare at. The place is dark and gloomy, shaded mostly off from the sunlight due to the garden being concealed by roots of trees that had somehow created a cage-like shelter; the only light was the small rays of sunshine that shot through the holes the roots didn't cover. Beautiful flowers grew down there, and cerulean blue butterflies roamed the place…however the sad atmosphere gave even the things that were lovely a look of dismay.

The Garden of Agony didn't have a definite location, however, a lot believed it to be in the Forest of Dreams. Traumatized females who seemed to have gone crazy, claiming and swearing on their own life that they had seen _her_ , and had eventually disappeared mysteriously, have always stumbled out of the Forest of Dreams, looking more than just distraught. Several amounts of males, who never returned once they entered this enchanted forest, were almost _always_ never to be seen again (those who were rarely seen again, were travelers who never seemed to have any problems with encountering a tempting mermaid).

Some blamed these disappearances on the fact that there were dangerous fumes in the forest from certain flowers that caused these beings to go crazy and get lost, and never come back… Which it was very true, that this forest was known for causing people to have delusions and hallucinations…you could never be too sure if what you were seeing was real or not. But those who knew these males and females personally and had heard of the tale of Sienna, believed to know better than blaming these continuing problems on toxic plants…

Sienna hated males with a burning, undying passion, as well as every female that falls in love with one so foolishly… She was cruel and killed any male who was fateful enough to come into her presence, and if she was mad enough at how stupid the female was, she would kill her too.

Sienna was well aware of her hideous exterior, and after years of drowning out all of the happiness left in her from her crying about her ruined beauty and shattered heart, her love eventually filled and mixed with a dark hatred…and she knew exactly what she wanted to do…and she didn't care if it was moral or not. All she knew was that she was hurt, and that someone was going to get hurt in return.

She made love to a demon in return for a bit of black magic. That was one of the only ways something originally filled with good can ever gain the ability to use dark magic. She had dark deeds she wanted to fulfill, and she was willing to do whatever it would take—even if it meant connecting with something so full of darkness… Her heart was already turning black, though, and she felt there was no way to turn back…so it no longer mattered to her.

She knew she needed black magic— _she wanted it_ —so when she got it, a miserable sickness of her heart changed, and it captivated her sorrows and twisted them into pleasure.

She uses black magic carelessly to deceive males of any sort to see her how she used to appear, and come down to her place with her. There, once she's gotten them to give in to her, she dishevels them and makes sure they die a painful death. If there's another lover involved with the male, she eventually lures that female down to her place, and shows to her how horrible and disgusting her lover really is at his most vulnerable state.

Sienna was now a monster.

She loved to rape others from love and their lives. It made her feel better—it felt like she was getting revenge on her lover. But doing what she did once never seemed fulfilling…and the pleasure she felt was never enough…which was why she continued with her ways, even though it never made her feel any better…

She felt it was unfair that she had to be raped from her tail…. _her dignity_ …and her love… _her greatest pride_ _and treasure_ …all because of someone she loved… _who apparently never loved her truly in return_ …and because of that, she wanted to make sure she wasn't alone in this world with how she felt…

"…and that's what others believe about her…" Alvin ended softly. He was now leaning back over his knees with his hands clasped loosely together.

There was something about the way his face looked as he told them about Sienna…something genuinely _real_ that made Brittany believe that Sienna was no myth, and that she was still alive and out there. It was like he had talked to Sienna himself and heard her story from her own mouth. There was something he understood about her that no one else did…

"It's your choice whether you believe she's still alive or not," Alvin continued, keeping his sky blue eyes on his hands. "It's completely up to you if you believe it or not…but if there's anything you remember from this story…I hope it's a lesson you remember and can respect…which is to be _especially_ careful…" he momentarily let the silence begin to sink in like a heavy, melting wax beginning to fall and seep into the mold it would eventually fill and fit perfectly into "…when it comes to love…because that's where the worst form of pain…of _hate_ …is created from…and where there's hate…there's darkness…and an unforgivable sorrow…that can swallow you whole, and never spit you back out."

It remained completely silent once he finished. Everyone listening had been so captivated and filled with a disturbing horror that they settled with trying to talk things out by themselves first.

As awful as Sienna sounded…Brittany couldn't hate her. She did believe it to be wrong for what Sienna was doing—it was _revolting_ and _terrifying_ —but when she thought about herself, and what she would do if she were in that situation…she knew she probably wouldn't handle it any better. As much as she wanted to believe she would do _so_ much better because _obviously_ she was Brittany Miller…she knew she would shatter if she had to look at herself in the mirror and see something that was created from the cause of someone other than herself.

It was definitely wrong for what Kurt did to Sienna…and Brittany _did_ hate him for that. It seemed right that he was finally dead…however, she felt bad for him as well. Imagine the _guilt_ he's had to live with…but if he didn't have any and only cared about himself, then he had no heart and deserved death to be forced down his throat like it was done, rather than served to him on a silver platter when he was ready for it.

"Alvin…" Theodore softly began.

Hearing his gentle voice leak through the silence pulled Brittany out of her thoughts. When she focused her eyes on the dark blonde-haired brother of Alvin, she felt like she was looking at someone different. He looked older, more serious …concerned… She quickly noticed that beside him, Simon shared his same expression.

"...what do you believe?"

It was like his question was slowly piercing through the thick silence, gradually making its way to Alvin's ear because he didn't respond or show any signs that he had heard the question at first.

After a while, though, Alvin finally looked up from his hands and stared at his brother. A small, calming smile made a slow approach on his face. "It's not real, Theodore…don't worry about it." He then straightened his hunching form, turning his head away as he rested his eyes back out the window.

His brothers seemed to relax a little, and they spoke softly among each other, eventually starting a quiet conversation with Jeanette and Eleanor, who still seemed so caught up with their thoughts. Brittany could hear their gentle voices speaking so kindly and sympathetically of Sienna. Eventually, though, their voices were blurred out from her ears and her mind wandered away from them as she stared at Alvin, who remained to stare out the window that continued to show a running wall of blackness.

She didn't get why he was so infatuated by that sight of darkness…there was nothing there to see…

Suddenly, the blackness slipped away as the outside world came into view through the window. It was still cloudy outside, and the continuing tears the clouds were shedding began to tap against the window, streaking quickly down the glass from the rushing wind passing by. Off in the distance, Brittany could barely see her hometown anymore as the black train carried her away, coming out of the tunnel like a snake. She felt weird inside, knowing that this would be the last time she would ever see that town.

Even though that town was probably one of the dullest, isolated towns in California (and because of how old and small it was, it was basically forgotten about, along with its name it had), she knew she'd miss it. Her sisters lived there for twelve years, having moved there when they were the age of seven… That was basically where the majority of her memories she could remember existed in. Ms. Miller rarely ever took them on trips out of that town, and when she did, she'd take them somewhere like Woodside, since it was only about eight miles away—nowhere too far.

Brittany sighed, keeping her eyes on the small pieces she could see of that town.

"So that town's no longer safe…?" she quietly asked, remembering Eris' other words she had said. It now made sense to Brittany as to why that town would no longer be safe… Predator creatures out there, such as barghests, now knew about that town…they probably would eventually attract other creatures to that place…other strange beings…ones that could be dangerous. It never occurred to her how safe that place actually must've been up until now…

Her chest tightened a little when she found she now longer could see that small town anymore.

"No..." Alvin suddenly said.

Brittany's ice blue eyes quickly flickered to him. She didn't expect him to actually answer her question since he didn't seem like he was in any mood to talk at the moment.

"That town's no longer safe…" he quietly murmured.

* * *

 **Long, I know...I'm going to try and keep these chapters varied with size, so if you're concerned about them always being long, don't worry...?  
And I was editing this bad boy like mad and it wasn't easy...like...oooh...struggle, struggle, struggle...  
Also, just know that whatever I put into this story will always have some sort of relevance...  
**

 **Thanks so much for reading!  
And THANK YOU for the reviews! You're all so sweet! Hugs to you all! ;D  
**

 **Next chapter you'll understand and learn more! Like what the boys are, what Eris meant about Brittany coming back...etc... :D  
**


	9. Chapter 9

Through the silence and relaxing sounds of the rain's soft _pitter-patters_ against the window, the essence of sleep was able to blanket over the three brothers and Miller sisters. Jeanette was leaning up against the window with Eleanor's head resting on her lap while she had her arm resting over Eleanor's shoulder. Both girls were completely captured by Sleep. Simon had his arms folded across his chest with his head bowed, while Theodore beside him had an elbow resting on the golden railing armrest to his left and was leaning his head against his hand. Sleep had snared both of them as well.

Across from Brittany, Alvin had resumed his position back over his knees and had both hands clasped behind his neck while his head hung low. It appeared he was knocked out by Sleep, except Brittany, who was still barely escaping the grasps of Sleep, knew she could never be too sure when it came to him. Who knows? Maybe he was just lost in deep thoughts…

Brittany was heavily feeling tired, but her weary eyes remained strong as they stared out the tear-streaked window. She had changed positions so she was leaning up against the cool misty glass, and she now had her legs brought up on her seat.

Over the time that had passed, absent of voices, all Brittany could think about was the story of Sienna and Kurt. She mainly tried to imagine what Sienna must have looked like, and how gorgeous she must've been. It was so mesmerizing to think she was a mermaid...yet so sad to think that the one thing that defined her as a mermaid was ripped away from her…literally. Brittany always loved the idea of mermaids—they were practically supposed to be the definition of pure beauty. She remembered she used to always want to be one when she was younger…

Before Ms. Miller had Brittany and her sisters pack their bags and change their location, the vintage house they once called home had an open backyard with no fences that lead to a local grove of aspen trees. Oftentimes, during the summer, when it was too hot to stay inside the house than it was outside, for the house seemed to turn into an oven continuing to increase with temperature, Brittany and her sisters would spend their time outside in their backyard, under the watch of Ms. Miller, who eventually would always fall asleep on the white bench swing they had on the small patio deck, shaded from the extended roof of their house.

She was five then, when she discovered that one pond she eventually would release her fantasies on... For some odd reason, it was always so easy to believe in things at that pond.

It had been another typical summer day with Ms. Miller snoozing away the blazing afternoon. At first, when Brittany glanced at her guardian, she was awake, intently reading a health and exercise magazine. When she glanced back, however, she found the old, spunky woman was snoring away with her magazine resting atop her chest. She had thought nothing of if, since she was so used to the image, and went back to picking from the sea of dandelions that engulfed her backyard. At the moment, she was busy building her crown out of the pretty yellow weeds that deceived both her and her sisters into thinking they were flowers.

It was then when she saw a large, white butterfly that seemed to have a rose gold tint to it whenever it flew into the sunlight. She told her sisters to stop working on the nest and basket they were making out of the dandelions and turn around to see this pretty creature, but they were too slow and missed catching sight of it… So she did what any five year old that wanted someone to see what they had seen, yet didn't, and ran over to the area she had seen the butterfly, beckoning her sisters to follow in pursuit. She really wanted them to see this butterfly.

Without knowing and realizing how deep the three sisters were wandering into the aspen grove, they didn't bother to stop their journey or worry about getting lost. Their innocent minds were only on seeing and finding this wonderful butterfly that only one of the three had seen. Eventually Brittany came to a sudden halt during the chase when she found herself standing before a pond full of glistening, clear blue water. The surface of the water was peaceful and still, and like a mirror, it reflected perfectly of the world that surrounded it; the rainbow hues that cascaded over the still water created a prettier image of the clear blue sky, wildflowers, and white bark and fresh green leaves from the trees.

By the time Jeanette and Eleanor had caught up with Brittany and were now witnessing this stunning site, Brittany's finger shot up like an arrow and she pointed out to them with much excitement that the butterfly she had seen was right over there, flying across the still water. Sure enough, when Eleanor and Jeanette looked, they spotted the pretty butterfly, glistening like pure gold in the sunlight. Soon, though, all of the Miller sister's fingers began flying everywhere, pointing out many more butterflies just like this same white one, fluttering gently across the still water and creating echoing rings of circles on the clear blue water.

They ended up staying by that pond, picking at the wildflowers and recreating the things they had been building out of the sorted colors and variety of flowers there was there. Occasionally the water would splash playfully, and they would see a streak of color slithering away, deeper into the water. They figured there must be fish in the water and spent some time trying to lure the scaly creatures back up. When nothing ever seemed to show while they were looking, they resumed their floriated works.

After that enchanted day ended, and the three dazed sisters found their way back home, they returned to a panicked Ms. Miller. She told them to never wander off like that ever again…and only two obeyed her wishes. Brittany continued heading back to that pond, using nothing but the sun to tell her when she should return home. She would invite her sisters, but they would always shake their heads, looking over at their guardian with worried brown and emerald eyes. Ultimately, Brittany stopped asking them and would sneak off on her own, daydreaming by that fantasy pond and staring at the butterflies that would play with her light auburn hair, imagining what it'd be like if she had fins while she played with her imaginary mermaid friends…

As the vivid memory of the sparkling pond and pointed mermaid tales of assorted colors, splashing against the water's mirror-like surface, distorting the images it reflected of the world, faded away, allowing Brittany to return back to the present, a new thought occurred to her… A new thought that could possibly be the answer to something she hadn't taken the time to personally think in depth about.

Perhaps that's what Eris meant when she was welcoming Brittany back—that her imagination she had when she was younger allowed her to believe in this world she supposedly belonged in, and that's what kept her a part of it…but then she moved and grew up…and she forgot about the magical dimension, and cut herself off from having any connection to it. She stopped playing with the butterflies, thinking they were some sort of fairy…she stopped playing in the water, hoping that her legs would transform into fins…she stopped believing in everything she thought existed by that pond.

It was very easy for Brittany to have disconnected herself from that imagination she had once she moved to that town—the boring, plain one—the one that didn't have anything for her imagination to plant a seed on and water it to grow.

Sighing with a slight irritation, wondering how much of a difference it would've made on her and her sister's lives if Ms. Miller never had them move, Brittany then readjusted her head against the cool window, her eyes resting on Alvin sub-consciously as she did so. Eris had mentioned something about him too…

 _The warrior…doomed for darkness…_

She remembered a few other words Eris had said about Alvin as well, but she refused to allow herself to acknowledge them and tried her best to focus on figuring out what Eris meant…if she was actually talking about Alvin or not…if it was something she should be concerned about for him.

The way Eris had said her words made it seem like it was unescapable—inevitable. That he was… _doomed._ He was supposedly fated for something awful…

Was something bad going to eventually happen to Alvin?

Brittany began to chew on her bottom lip, her eyes beginning to hurt with a weird pressure, since she was forcing them open for such a long time, as she tried to think of a different explanation for Eris' threatening words.

Alvin said Eris liked to play games and was challenging… He clearly didn't like the beautiful vetala, while she seemed to take a liking to him… (Brittany actually wasn't entirely sure about Eris' feelings—she was just basing it off of the fact that Eris found Alvin fairly…attractive…) The encounter Alvin and Eris had recently was definitely the first time they had ever met, after having heard so much about the other and not seeing the other in real life. Maybe what Eris had said about him was her way of taunting him…of playing with his head and challenging him to react to her words…

Brittany pursed her lips at the thought as her tired eyes involuntarily engulfed her vision with darkness. She could feel that Sleep was beginning to cradle her body, whispering to her exhausted strength to rest…she tried to push it away and force her sealed eyes open. She just wanted to lay there and think for a moment…not dream of a dream she wouldn't even remember…but she knew there was only so much time until Sleep would kiss her goodnight and cut loose the leash she had on her mind to wander somewhere unknown to her freely for a few hours soon.

And just before she lost rein over her mind, she was able to mostly temporarily convince herself that Eris was merely playing with Alvin, and that she had nothing to worry about…

.

When Brittany woke up, as expected not remembering a single dream she may have had, she found it was fairly dark outside, probably nighttime now, and that it still was raining. In the distant, she caught sight of a white flash striking down to the ground with a static flare, lighting up the silhouettes of trees briefly before it quickly vanished. Rubbing her eyes, she moved her feet back to the ground and sat up straight. Her right shoulder and stiff neck felt slightly sore when she tried to move them.

Inhaling the thick air that smelled slightly of rain and glass, Brittany released her breath and dropped her hands from her eyes, skimming over her surroundings. Her sisters were still fast asleep; however Simon, Theodore, and Alvin were all awake. As Brittany momentarily watched Simon scribble something down on a sheet of parchment stationery paper, which was resting on top of a stuffed full, red leather folder, she then moved her gaze over to the next brother curiously, her gaze lingering a little longer on the bespectacled brother before she finally let her ice blue orbs make their transition.

Beside Simon, Theodore hadn't changed his position and his gaze was on what Simon was writing. Opening her mouth to ask what Simon was doing, she clamped her mouth shut, glimpsing over to her sound sisters. Glancing back over to the two brothers whom she still barely knew anything about, she pulled her gaze down to her cold hands that were resting on her lap. It was probably best she kept her mouth shut anyways...

She sighed, slowly peeping up at Alvin to make sure she didn't have an audience of one she should be concerned about for watching her. Thankfully, he appeared to not even be paying much attention to her. As she stared at him concentrating his eyes down on his hands, she couldn't help but remember the first times she met him. She had hardly known him for about a full day now, and here she was, running away with him…along with her sisters and his brothers. Had she not known all that she knew now, she definitely would've thought herself extremely rash… Who knew that everything could change this fast?

"How are you feeling?" Alvin suddenly asked, snapping Brittany out of her thoughts.

She blinked her eyes and focused her attention on him. He was still staring down at his hands… When she lowered her interested gaze down, she found he was actually holding something she didn't notice earlier. She couldn't quite tell what it was, but it seemed to be glossy, like a type of smooth gem…

"Do you believe it?" he then asked, looking up at her, making her quickly pull her gaze up to meet his eyes. "Everything that's happened?"

Brittany pursed her lips, thinking his questions over at the same time she tried to figure out if the gem-object thing in his hand had any significance or not, or if it was just a stone he was fascinated by. "I'm… It's…strange…" she answered slowly. "But I do believe it," she nodded her head, slightly surprised out by the sincerity and truthfulness that filled each of her words all the way to the top, rather than filling them halfway full or barely full at all.

He nodded his head, sitting up straight and placing whatever it was in his hand away in his jean pockets. "It'll probably feel strange for a while…but it'll soon feel natural," he sighed, cracking his neck from right to left, sounding off a few loud _popping_ noises.

Biting her lower lip, Brittany dropped her gaze with a slow nod of the head. She highly doubted that any of this would feel natural…but she knew he was probably right. This was still all brand new for her and her sisters, and eventually it will feel old.

She didn't regret anything that had happened, for this all could've ended fairly different for her and her sisters. Jeanette could've been dead at this moment—she could've been dead for more than a few days by now. In fact, Brittany probably would've been dead by now herself…and so would Eleanor. Really, she and her sisters lucked out…they were quite fortunante. She could hardly imagine where or what would've become of herself if the boys hadn't have shown up all because they got suspicious from seeing a ton of barghests heading to that town…

As she reminisced that night, trying to figure out what she would've done if the boys hadn't have come along…she then remembered the shot she had been given. She remembered how she always blacked out from the injections (she figured it was a type of sedative), and she remembered how confused she was to wake up in her bedroom that one morning and how her sisters didn't remember a single thing. She was supposed to not remember like her sisters…wasn't she? So how come she didn't become oblivious like her sisters? There had to be a reason as to why she remembered everything and didn't have her memories locked away like her sisters did.

Alvin and his brothers wouldn't make a mistake like that… It was clear and obvious how precise they tended to be and how strict they were with this sort of thing by going through the trouble to clean everything up and make it seem ordinary. Before the brothers knew that Brittany and her sisters actually belonged in their world, the three had intentionally planned to make the Miller sister's lives back to normal as much as possible.

Brittany looked over at her sleeping sisters, wondering what could've gone wrong with Simon's weird "mind trick," as he had explained it to be. "Alvin," she began, pulling her eyes back over to him, "how come I was the only one out of my sisters that remembered that Friday night?"

He stared at her momentarily, almost as if he was trying to read her mind so he knew what to say to knock out the line of questions that connected to the one she had asked and make it simple. He then answered with: "Sometimes, for certain supernatural species, when they build up a strong mentality, they're able to resist simple charms and curses, and small magic like that has no effect on them…"

"So…" Brittany dragged out, hoping he'd give her a better explanation than that.

" _So,_ " he sighed, clasping his hands together, "the Memory Charm Simon did on you didn't work because you have somehow built up a strong mentality." He shrugged.

"That's possible to do? To create a strong mentality and be able to resist simple spells that are cast upon you?" she slowly asked.

Nodding his head, he glanced over at Simon as he said, "It is possible for Asterians to achieve an ability like this, and considering that's what you are…that's what we figured was the reason as to why Simon's Memory Charm didn't work on you. Your mind fought it off while you were unconscious... You felt headaches after you woke up, right?"

That question caught her off guard. How did _he_ know that? Her sisters didn't even know it since she wouldn't show that her head was having some slight problems…

"Those headaches you felt was your mind fighting off the Memory Charm," he clarified. "And if you're _that_ interested to know the workings of this, I know Simon would _love_ to explain to you this process…" he rolled his eyes, glimpsing over at his bespectacled brother who was still busy writing on the parchment paper in his neat, small handwriting.

Brittany noticed he had an interesting pen in his hand…it almost looked like it was in the shape of a…dragon? Yes—she was sure it was a small dragon, and its mouth was the end where the glistening ink was spilling out of...like that was supposed to be the fire it breathed out. She wondered how she didn't notice that until now…

"Umm…" Brittany pursed her lips, still slightly distracted by the pen. "I think I can live with not knowing the process," she meekly grinned, looking back at Alvin. She figured she'd probably _eventually_ learn this information from her sweet, intellectual sister at some point anyways, who of course, undeniably would've learned it from none other than Simon.

So now that she knew those headaches she had weren't caused by chance…she had to wonder about the buzzing she felt through her veins, if that was maybe the aftermath of whatever it was that they had injected into her…? She figured enough that what he had shot through her veins was a type of sedative…but she wanted to know _specifically_ what it was, just so she would be aware of the substance and its capabilities if she were to ever come across it again or hear about it…

"Since you sort of brought it up," she began casually, causing Alvin to raise his eyebrows questioningly. "What exactly did you…?" her voice trailed off, for she began to get slightly distracted from the sudden stirs of Eleanor, who was now waking up.

Theodore's bored eyes that were glued to Simon's moving hand peeled off like a sticker to look up at the youngest Miller sister. His dull expression quickly brightened as he smiled at Eleanor, who smiled back in return as she stretched out her arms, afterwards fixing her gleaming blonde hair into two braided pigtails.

"These seats aren't ideal for sleeping," Eleanor grimaced, glancing to Brittany then Theodore, lightly laughing when she saw Theodore nod his head with a look on his face that expressed he knew all too well with what she meant.

"Did I…?" Alvin repeated, bringing most of Brittany's attention back to him, but not quite all of it.

"Um…did you…" Brittany paused, furrowing her brows when she realized she'd forgotten what she was going to say. Well this wasn't awkward… When the words quickly found their way back to her, she opened her mouth, ready to speak as she peered back at Alvin who had a curious look on his face.

"What did you inject into me that caused me to…black out?" she inquired unintentionally slow, locking eyes with him. She was slightly surprised that he didn't look irritated like she was sure he would appear for taking forever to ask him the question.

"Oh," he nodded his head, reaching beneath his seat and pulling out a black backpack with a red bandana wrapped around one of the straps. He began to look through a few of the pockets.

Brittany's face contorted itself as she watched him in confusion. _Since when was that there?_ she voiced in her head as she stared at the backpack. Moreover _, Since when did he even_ get _that?_ She had no memory of him carrying that black backpack… Was it there on the ground before they arrived on the train or…? Her curious eyes wandered over to look beneath Theodore's and Simon's shared seat, because perhaps that was the same backpack that Simon was carrying. She must've missed the red bandana…

But much to her slight alarm, Simon and Theodore seemed to have their own black backpacks as well. She obviously got why Simon had a backpack under his seat, but she didn't understand why Alvin and Theodore seemed to have their backpacks with them as well. They wouldn't be _this_ well prepared to have left a couple of their backpacks on this train, would they?

While Brittany was busy trying to come to a conclusion to this mystery about the backpacks, she suddenly felt something tap against her hand. When she looked down, she found Alvin had something outstretched to her in a small glass vial. Feeling her eyebrows twitch, she hesitantly took the glass vial, careful to not make contact with his hand, like touching it would send an electric shock through her body. As she brought the small clear bottle full of a midnight purple and deep black liquid substance up to her eyes, tilting it back from one end to the other, watching as the water-like substance rushed to whatever end she desired, she cocked her head and looked at Alvin.

"That's melted nightshade and Lavender Stardrop," he explained. "The nightshade is the poison that drains you of your energy, and the Lavender Stardrop is what coaxes your body to quickly relax and fall asleep; it's also what helps you become immune to the poisons in nightshade that could kill you, or really in this case, it helps your body not overreact to it, and lessens the feeling of it running through your veins."

Hearing the words "poison" and "kill" stood out to Brittany's ears like they had been screamed through a microphone, and her face freely spoke of her concern for the mixture that apparently had been injected into her. So the weird buzzing feeling was _poison_ running through her veins...

Alvin quickly read her face and rolled his eyes at her. "Relax—nightshade can only kill you when you're given a _very_ high dosage of it. And if you're human—which you're not—it reacts better on weaker species like them," he firmly stated. "And there's hardly enough nightshade in there to kill a bunny," he dismissively added. "Probably will make it extremely sick and feeling uncomfortable, but it won't kill it—so don't worry. For most supernatural creatures, nightshade weakens them and can easily put them to sleep—rarely does it ever cause death. You'll really need a _whole_ lot more exposure of it than you think in order for it to kill you..."

Brittany's face eventually softened and she quietly accepted his reasons reluctantly as she returned the glass vial. He had a slight smirk on his face as he took it from her hand and placed it back in his backpack. It was probably so humorous to him because this probably was common knowledge everyone knew in their world…and here she was, clueless to everything. As she played with the ends of her hair from her ponytail, feeling very degraded when it came to being a part of the magical world and no knowing their common knowledge, she heard Alvin exhaling deeply, like one would do when they knew they had a lot on their plate

"Theodore, Simon," Alvin called out, suddenly coming to a stand as he picked up his backpack.

Brittany perked up and straightened her posture as she looked around to see if there was a reason as to why he was standing. Were they going somewhere? Was the train ride almost over? When she looked out the window to see if they were already arriving at their destination, she heard Simon and Theodore come to a stand. Whipping her head over in their direction, she glanced to her sisters who looked just as confused and alert as she did. Jeanette looked the most confused since she had just woken up when the brothers began to stand.

"Wh-where are you guys going?" Jeanette stuttered, her voice breaking at every word due to her groggy condition. She quietly cleared her throat, rubbing her eyes as she came to a steady stand.

"Ah—d-don't worry, we'll be right back," Simon assured, placing his hands on her shoulders and guiding her back down to her seat. "We just need to go make some adjustments to our attire, since it's almost time for us to get off," he informed.

"So, we're not arriving at our next stop yet?" Jeanette innocently asked, peering up at all three brothers with large, owlish eyes. She looked and sounded wide awake now.

"No," Theodore simply sighed, glancing out the window. "But we're getting close," he grinned sincerely at her, his gentle forest green eyes traveling to Eleanor then Brittany afterwards. Sucking in a deep breath, he looked to his brothers. "Are we going?" he exhaled out.

Alvin nodded his head.

At this point, Brittany was on the edge of her seat, ready to stand as she watched Theodore file out onto the small, red-carpeted aisle, heading towards the glossy wooden door at the end of the room, closely followed by Simon and Alvin. They each were carrying their backpacks with them, and it easily gave off the impression that they were going to simply abandon the Miller sisters, even though they claimed they would be returning., and that they would be their personal compass and protector. After all, the boys had every reason for wanting to leave considering the dangers.

The girls didn't quite trust the brothers _that_ much yet…at least Brittany for sure didn't. Just because they saved her and her sisters didn't quite give them the golden ticket to _everything._

"Wait—hold up," Brittany hollered after them, coming to a stand and slightly following after them, stopping when she was between the parallel seats that the brothers had been sitting in.

All three of the brothers came to a gradual halt, glimpsing back at her. Upon seeing where Brittany stood, Alvin heaved out a sigh and used his head as an anchor to turn himself around to face her.

"So you're leaving us to change clothes?" she queried slowly, narrowing her ice blue eyes at them as she looked over each of their similar outfits that consisted of shoes, jeans, and a plain T-shirt. The fact that they were changing attire wasn't what bothered her; she understood that certain clothing was only good for so much, and considering these brothers have probably traveled all around the world more than a thousand times, that meant they probably knew what was more appropriate and suitable to wear, plus they were a part of a different world; they probably had different styles of clothing in their world as well, and thought that what human beings wore was unusual or something…

However, what _was_ bothering Brittany was: "What if something happens to us while you guys are gone?"

Brittany was well aware of how overly attached her words probably sounded, even though she was _far_ from being even _close_ to either of the brothers…but it _was_ a genuine concern she _did_ have. Changing clothes generally doesn't take that long; however, there was always a possibility for something to happen during the few minutes the boys would be gone. After all, it always happened in the movies, so why not in real life, too?

Alvin didn't seem to understand this, though. He simply raised his eyebrows at her. "What, would you feel more comfortable if we changed in front of you?" he asked, completely catching her off guard.

"Wha…?" Britttany barely got out.

"You know if that's what you girls feel most comfortable with…" he continued, putting his hand out to stop Simon from saying something while he set his backpack down on the ground, getting ready to take off his shirt.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!—stop!—stop!" Brittany backed away, struggling to find her way back to her seat while walking backwards. "We can completely handle ourselves without you for a few minutes! We're comfortable! See?!" she exaggerated a happy smile as she finally managed to sit down, after having bumped into the golden railing to the seat more than she probably should've.

Smirking at her, Alvin picked up his backpack and swung it over his right shoulder. "I wasn't serious—just wanted to see your reaction…" he chuckled, turning around and heading towards the door. "How do you think we do our jobs?" he muttered under his breath, just before he disappeared behind the door with Theodore.

"Ignore him, please," Simon quickly said, apologetically looking to Brittany who was gawking wrathfully at how big of an arrogant jerk Alvin actually could be—a side of him she almost forgot existed since it really was so small, yet whenever he switched over to that persona, it somehow swelled to be able to consume his whole entire mind and body. "And don't worry—one of us will always be able to sense if a being that's a potential threat to you girls is near," Simon reassured , just before he, too, disappeared through the door that appeared to be leading to another small section of the train, that lead to more passenger seats next door, which appeared to be empty.

For a moment, the three sisters remained silent, staring at the door their protectors had just disappeared into the stomach of. When it officially became apparent that the brothers wouldn't return for a bit of time, all three of the sisters turned to look at one another almost as if it were on cue.

"When did Alvin and Theodore get their backpacks?" Brittany blurted out first. It really shouldn't have bothered her this much…but it did. She wasn't sure if the backpacks were purposefully left in this train cart under these exact same seats, or if maybe she had missed seeing the boys get them during her moment of obliviousness when she was too consumed by her thoughts earlier this morning… She figured it was the latter, but she just wanted to make sure. And there was no way she was going to ask Alvin—she didn't want to see his face of ridicule if he _had_ retrieved his backpack while she was standing right beside him.

Now that she had that _friendly, subtle_ reminder of his annoying, rude side, she knew he would tease her. Plus, he had a tendency to flash his stupid smug smiles of judgement at her whenever she would say or do something not too brilliant…

"They got it on the way to the train station, remember?" Eleanor answered, turning to look at Brittany with a confused face.

"Oh, yeah, yeah…" Brittany nodded her head, faking her sudden remembrance. "I knew that," she lied. So it was just as she had suspected.

Eleanor gave Brittany a funny smile as she tugged on her mint green hoody and pulled it down further over her gray, thermal athletic leggings.

"So, it just occurred to me…" Jeanette suddenly spoke up. Her emerald gaze was back on the brown wooden door the boys had gone through. "We don't actually know who or what those boys are…" She took the moment to look at Brittany and Eleanor. "I mean, we know their names and that they're brothers...but do we actually _know_ who they are? Do we actually know what kind of _being_ they are? If that makes sense…? I mean, maybe it's not important…although, I am curious…"

Eleanor nodded her head. "No, you're right," she agreed, "about how we don't really know a single thing about them, when we probably should… " she dropped her gaze to her lap. "I can't believe neither of us has bothered to ask about who they are…" She looked up, glancing between her sisters. "It completely went over my head. I mean, we've just been too busy being too concerned about _ourselves_ …we never asked one of the most important questions to fully allow us to give them our trust—I mean, how can we trust them when they seem to know everything about us—or at least our kind—when we don't know a single thing about…well, _them?_

"Like, I highly doubt they're predators after our blood and are tricking us into following them into some trap…but, who knows? I think we should figure out what they are, and if we ever somehow get the chance, we should ask other people or beings about their kind so we can learn what they may not tell us. Didn't they say something about how it was their job to keep everything in balance, or something…?"

"Yeah!" Jeanette exclaimed. "Simon said it was their 'calling'…"

As Jeanette and Eleanor tried to put the broken pieces of information they had together like a puzzle, Brittany sat off to the side, catching every word and sound her sisters let fly out of their mouths about the boys in a butterfly net, and piecing together her own puzzle. She tried to focus on her sisters' assumptions on what the boys could possibly be, but her mind would always go back to what Eris had called Alvin…and strangely enough, it did seem fitting.

 _Warrior._

But what was that supposed to be, if that was really what he and his brothers were?—a guardian of some sort? Or maybe it was another word used to describe him for what he's done in the past and gone through….or it could just be a mockery of everything he's _not._ Ugh—she just wasn't sure what to believe. Why couldn't Eris be someone who only spoke the truth, rather than someone who knew the truth, yet chose to vary when it came to being deceitful?

"Brittany!" Eleanor shouted, breaking through Brittany's gates that kept her inside her personal palace of thoughts.

Blinking, the auburn-haired girl looked to her sisters, not realizing that they had been calling out to her for some time now…

"We're stuck…" Jeanette's shoulders slumped.

"Have any ideas? You haven't said anything this whole time…" Eleanor mumbled. "It's so unlike you…"

Brittany nodded her head, debating whether or not she should tell her sisters about what she heard Eris say... She wanted to—and she normally _would_ …but there was something about saying Eris' words out loud that made her not want to do so.

She felt like she would hex herself—hex her sisters—hex Alvin. And even though she thought he really shouldn't be of her concern, for she had practically just met him and shouldn't trust him this easily (although, she felt like she's spent far more time with him than simply just a day)…there was something about feeling like she'd be betraying him if she leaked to her sisters that one bit of information that would most definitely put a probation spotlight on him. There was a sort of loyalty she felt obligated to keep to him. He's done so much for her already, even though she thought he could've been a bit more of a gentleman about it…

But overall, he's risked a lot for her and her sisters. Plus, the way he acted and looked when Eris said those words… It was clearly his business, and his alone. She had no right to poison his image so easily with silly words she wasn't even sure of herself…

Brittany peered into each of her sister's eyes, studying the pools of emerald and glistening brown. Eleanor and Jeanette were her sisters, though…they always shared everything with each other. Sighing softly as she made her decision, Brittany opened her mouth, about ready to pour the thickening contents within her head out—

Suddenly, the brown, wooden door at the end of the aisle swung open with Alvin, Simon, and Theodore marching towards the girls. They seemed to be having a fairly heated conversation, but that went unnoticed for their appearance somehow spoke louder than their austere discussion.

All three brothers were now wearing completely different attires compared to the last one they wore. Each one of them had mid-calf, black combat boots on with fitting, black, leather-like trousers tucked into their matte shoes. Their pants, secured at the waist by a thick black belt, seemed to have some sort of vague knee padding, and strapped to each thigh was a knife belt that seemed to hold several small knives. Shielding their chests was what appeared to be a Kevlar armor vest, with thin upper and lower panels that created a symmetrical pattern from where the silver zipper lined the middle of their vests, leading from the collar panel down to the bottom of their vests.

In two tiered layers, barely covering their broad shoulders, were a few more small panels acting as sleeves to the vest, and along the areas where their ribcages should be were small ridges, designed into their vests to add more style. The only difference between each of their athletic black suits was the fact that each of their upper and lower panels was different shades of colors: Theodore's was dark jade green, while Simon's was navy blue, and Alvin's was burgundy red.

As Brittany examined their new attire, she had to glance over at her sister's and her own attire. Jeanette had dressed up like they were going camping, Eleanor dressed up the way she would when going on a run in the winter, and for herself, Brittany dressed the same way she had that one Saturday she went back to the restaurant to investigate, her main theme of color being neon hot pink. To say the least, she was beginning to feel like she and her sisters underdressed and hadn't quite anticipated how they should've dressed for this journey nor anticipated how dangerous it would be…at all.

Pursing her lips, Brittany brought her gaze to her own ensemble, thinking otherwise of how she felt about her and her sister's outfits. For being unexperienced in this sort of traveling, she did have to say she and her sisters dressed pretty darn decent—at least none of them came dressed like they were going on a picnic or some tea party. They each individually dressed in the most appropriate way for themselves…so she really didn't need to degrade their choice in clothing.

When the brother's voices seemed to be getting closer, Brittany peered up at them, gradually registering at a quick pace something was wrong.

" _Why_ are they _following_ us?!" Alvin huffed furiously as he wrapped a leathery-looking black strap around his right hand, matching the look the thin, black material around his left hand had of a fingerless black glove. He was the only one out of his brothers that seemed to have these for his hands.

Brittany and her sisters glanced to one another as a sudden panic began to simmer within at his loud words. They each quickly came to a stand.

"I wish I knew—I mean, they normally know better than to bother us and generally don't bother anyone at all anymore, and the girls—" Simon suddenly cut himself off, looking like he had his tongue severed off as he scanned all three sisters momentarily. Wisdom seemed to suddenly strike him like lightning, for he suddenly groaned, "Of course…they must know about their _blood!_ " and he facepalmed himself.

As Brittany stood there, completely dumbstruck, Alvin swiftly moved in and grabbed her worn out, neon hot pink sports backpack from off the ground and swung it over his right shoulder, which already had his own backpack on it. Blinking, Brittany looked over at him with large, alarmed eyes, briefly glancing at her backpack. "What's going on?" she demanded, trying her best to keep her voice under control while the butterflies within began to flutter.

"Black Eyed Beings—even though a lot of us believe them to be immortal—they aren't—and I believe that's why they're after us—they want your guys' blood so they can become immortal!" Simon explained, waving his hands around like this was completely logical and obvious. "Should've realized this sooner!" he muttered under his breath as he grabbed Jeanette's backpack from her hand and swung it over his own shoulder.

Theodore had offered to carry Eleanor's backpack for her like his brothers had customarily done without bothering to ask, but she turned him down politely, saying she'd be fine. He seemed to be unsure of this, not knowing her athletic abilities, but reluctantly nodded his head, saying if her shoulders ever got tired, he was still open to carry the load.

"C'mon, this way…" Simon ushered Jeanette's frail form gently with his hand on her back, guiding her out onto the aisle between the seats and leading her towards the end of the aisle, to the glossy wooden door that glistened like clear water.

"Wait, so what's going on?" Eleanor asked, looking confused as she followed after Simon and slipped her backpack on.

Alvin suddenly pushed Brittany along to follow after her sister, with Theodore then himself trailing closely behind. Brittany scowled back at him in annoyance as she crossed her arms, pressing her arms tightly against her stomach in hopes she could soothe the startled butterflies she felt inside of her. As Simon continued leading them past the wooden door, past the small, slightly closed off section that had two single toilet rooms on either side and through the entrance that lead to the next room full of vacant passenger seats, he finally came to a halt about three-quarters down the aisle.

"You girls have a predator close by at the moment," Simon stated seriously, turning around as he set both his and Jeanette's backpack on the ground.

"Wh-what?" Jeanette choked out, her voice intoxicated with fear.

"So where are we going then?" Eleanor asked a little too fast, her voice barely revealing her inner fear she was trying so hard to tame.

"Out, to our escape," Simon answered.

Alvin suddenly brushed past Brittany and stood beside Simon, setting the two backpacks he chose to burden on his shoulders down beside where Simon had placed his. They both stared at each other, seeming to be having another one of their silent conversations.

"So…how are we exactly getting out?" Brittany asked, stepping forward so she was now standing beside her sisters. As far as she could tell, this room didn't have any more doors for them to go through. They had to be kidding if they were actually going to break a window or blow up a wall and have the unexperienced sisters try to jump out while the train moved at its fastest speed—that was basically like throwing a sea turtle out of a bird's nest and expecting it to naturally learn how to fly when all it had was flippers meant for swimming. In short: you would have to be senseless to do that.

Alvin grimly smirked at her, glancing back to Simon, and instead of looking towards one of the walls and explaining their plan of suicidal, both of them looked up at the ceiling, to where a small hatch was.

Brittany's jaw dropped as she felt her heart fall to the bottom of her stomach, creating a new uproar for the butterflies within her.

* * *

 **I lied. Next chapter you'll learn what the boys are. ;P  
And to give you a better visual of what I tried to describe what the boys were wearing (I hope you didn't imagine something tacky due to my attempts at description!), you can just look up what Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye in The Avengers wore. I actually really like the look of his little getup, and it looks flexible and good-looking...at least I think it's pretty darn cool, so that's basically what I tried to exactly describe how the brothers were dressed, except maybe a few things were changed/added. Anyways...  
**

 **Thanks so much for reading! :)  
And thank you guys so so so much for the reviews! :D  
**

 **I'm so sorry for the wait! I haven't had much time at all this week to work on this! And since I've already established somewhat a sort of habit to update at least twice a week, I'll work my butt off and try to update something on Sunday!**


	10. Chapter 10

"You guys can't be serious," Brittany flatly deadpanned. No. There was no way, they were going to get her to climb up through that hatch, while the rain-stained wind _pricked_ at her in a torturing ongoing motion, and tried to _push_ her over. She had no interest in getting attacked by nature, getting wet, _and_ jumping off a train, as she assumed the boys had planned.

"Do you want to die?" Alvin simply asked as Simon got up on one of the passenger seats and opened the hatch. Immediately, the shrills of the wind screamed through the small, square opening, and hammering drops of rain came pounding down on the red-carpeted floor like shooting bullets, turning blotches of the carpet into a deeper crimson, like it was blood dripping down, rather than salt water.

As Brittany and her sisters watched Simon hop off the seat, Brittany muttered: "Well, no…" She brought her gaze back up to the small opening, peering anxiously at the dark world outside with the towering trees. "But how are we supposed to even do what you guys expect us to do?" she countered, crossing her arms stubbornly.

Theodore suddenly came up from behind Brittany and walked past her, and setting his backpack down, he easily jumped up and gripped onto the edges of the small opening, and with a slight grunt, he had managed to pull himself up and out through the hole in the ceiling of the steam train. All three sisters were dumbfounded, their jaws having dropped to the floor. He did that way too easily, making it appear as simple as cutting butter with a knife…

"We don't expect you to do anything," Alvin remarked, picking up Theodore's backpack and handing it to him through the small opening. Looking to Simon, the bespectacled brother nodded his head and effortlessly jumped up and pulled himself through just like Theodore had done. Alvin went over to Simon's and Jeanette's backpacks and handed them through the hatch as well.

"We're just doing what we can with the options, and if there's anything we expect from you girls, it's that you won't do anything too stupid," he added, motioning for Jeanette to come over, which she hesitantly complied to do so.

"Stupid—we're not _that_ dumb to do anything stupid…" Brittany grumbled.

"I know," he responded, just as Jeanette came to stand before him and slightly turned around so she could look up the small entrance in the ceiling.

"So, how am I going to get up ther—whoa!" Jeanette gasped as Alvin suddenly picked her up by the waist and lifted her up to the hatch. "Wha-wha—what are you doing?" she stuttered out, looking down at him and her sister with wide frightened eyes.

"Jeanette," Eleanor firmly, yet soothingly began, as she seemed to be shielding her eyes from the sight. "Look up."

Jeanette gave her little sister a look of confusion, but the moment she looked up, her face flushed red with relief and understanding as she caught sight of both Simon's and Theodore's patient hands, waiting for her to grab onto. Grinning sheepishly, she lightly laughed out a soft "Oh" and grabbed onto both hands offered down to her. Alvin released his hold on her as she was pulled out of the train like a flower getting picked from the ground. Then he looked to Eleanor.

The blonde-haired girl nodded her head and slipped her backpack off, knowing that she wouldn't fit through the small entrance with it on. Turning around so her back was facing him, she breathed out, "Okay, I'm ready," and Alvin picked her up by the waist as well, lifting her close to the hatch. By the time she was sucked out through the hatch, Alvin quickly passed up her backpack.

Finally, it was now Brittany's turn to get lifted. She remained where she stood with her arms crossed, keeping her feet planted to the ground like she had been a holy statue built right there. Her cold ice blue eyes dared the boy before her to come near her, saying that if he did, she'd bite his head off. Brittany knew she was being quite senseless, considering they probably were in a hurry to get away, and her sisters and Alvin's brothers couldn't wait out there in the pouring rain all night, but something about backing down from her own word of not wanting to do this wasn't letting her go ahead and freely let him lift her up to the rainy darkness that awaited her through that hatch.

None of this seemed to faze Alvin, though, since he merely rolled his eyes and walked over to her, placing his hands on her waist anyways, getting ready to lift her, but before he actually raised her off the ground, she placed her hands on top of his with a defensive look on her face. He gave her an irritated look, and eventually heaved out a surrendering sigh, locking his sky blue eyes on her.

"I get it if you don't quite trust me or my brothers yet…" he began, but Brittany shook her head.

"That's not it…" she responded guardedly. She sighed heavily at her complicated situation, not sure if she really wanted to tell him it was her pride that was actually getting in the way. In all honesty, she now trusted Alvin and his brothers more than she's trusted any other boy she's had the unfortunate luck of becoming close acquaintances with… That one small piece of integrity she saw in him and his brothers for returning back when they said they would when they could've easily abandoned Brittany and her sisters the moment they walked through the door, and including what was currently happening now, was making her mind make quite a bit of adjustments with how she felt about giving Alvin and his brothers her trust…

Alvin suddenly chuckled lightly, giving her an interesting look with an elusive lopsided grin that was hardly noticeable on his face. He seemed to already know what her problem was. "You keep forgetting who you're with," he stated.

"And who am I with?" she slowly tested, narrowing her eyes on him like this was a trick question.

"You're with me," he said, like this should mean something to her, and without a warning, he lifted her up in one effortless motion.

She let her uncertain gaze linger down on him a little while longer, before she finally looked up and found Simon's and Theodore's gentle faces there, encouraging her to grab onto their hands. Sighing, she latched both of her hands onto each one of theirs and allowed them to pull her out into the cold rain. It was only when Alvin let go of her did she realize how warm his hands had been, and it wasn't your typical relaxing warm temperature one would feel in some sauna or get from keeping a blanket over them for some time, it was actually fairly hot, like how it felt when you'd get too close to a fire. She quickly forgot this, though, when her sisters came to her to huddle beside her.

She could easily tell Jeanette and Eleanor were chilled to the bone. They were fairly wet, with their rain-splattered clothing appearing like they had walked through a field of attacking sprinklers, and the wind was having no mercy whatsoever as it whipped forcefully against their bodies, making the cold even more unbearable. So in order to help them and make the cold feel a little more tolerable, Brittany did all that she could only do, and wrapped her arms around both of her younger sisters securely as she stared at the passing large trees that loomed over them from both sides of the train, threatening that dark strange creatures hid within every shadow, and that one should never enter it alone unless it was a part of the darkness as well…

By the time Alvin had joined everyone on the glistening, pitch black roof of the steam train that looked a lot like liquid black tar, the rain had eased up and was barely sprinkling down from the dark, gray clouds. The icy, rushing wind, smelling of warm smoke and rain, chased any feeling of warmth away from Brittany's hands, and no matter how much heat her hands managed to conjure up due to their connection with her sister's body heat, it always got snatched away from her grasp and swallowed whole by the cold air.

"Why is it so c-cold?" Jeanette quietly said, her soft voice barely withstanding against the loud huffs and puffs from the steam train. The timid girl tugged on her sleeves, bringing her hands up to her mouth so she could breathe out warm air on them.

"Just keep telling yourself that you feel warm until you actually start to believe it," Brittany softly responded, biting her lower lip in order to stop her teeth from chattering. Gosh, this freezing, wet air made it feel like it was winter, rather than summer…

When Brittany peered up at the brothers to see if they were ready to get off of this train yet, and away from the forced cold air, her heart skipped a beat when she could've sworn she saw something black jump from her left and onto the side of the train a little ways down near the end… She suddenly remembered the real reason why they were up on the rooftop, and a steady flow of adrenaline began to pulse its way throughout her blood.

 _That's right,_ her voice echoed in her mind. _We're being…hunted…_

She kept her eyes trained on the area she thought she saw that black figure jump onto the end of the train, and just when she was beginning to think that maybe it was an outstretched tree branch that she had mistaken as something else or maybe her eyes playing inconvenient ruses on her, she caught sight of something beginning to climb up onto the roof of the train…

"Alvin…" she barely whispered out. Her heart was slowly hammering in her chest, gradually picking up its tempo.

When he didn't respond, since he seemed too busy adjusting hers and his own backpack on his back, she tried calling out to him again, but her voice didn't come out any louder. It came out in the same, hoarse whisper. The black figure was now officially on top of the roof, slowly making its way to a staggering stand. How come he or his brothers hadn't sensed that _thing_ over there yet? Couldn't they sense these things?

Brittany swallowed away her growing frustrations and panics, trying her best to clear her throat to prepare her voice for another go at calling out a notification to the apparently oblivious brothers. Whether they were aware of that thing over there or not—Black Eyed Beings or whatever Simon had called them—she was still going to call out to them to make sure they knew of its existence standing a little less than half of a football field away…

"Alvin!" she called out, not much louder than her hoarse whispers, but loud enough that it did capture Alvin's attention.

His sky blue eyes flickered over to her, and upon seeing the fear on her face, he knowingly whipped his head around to where the black figure stood, beginning to run towards them, appearing very much human. He cursed under his breath.

"Simon, Theodore—!" Alvin hollered, nodding his head off in the direction the dark figure was, informing his brothers of their unwelcomed newcomer on top of the roof, train surfing with them. "We need to get them off— _now!_ " he shouted.

And before Brittany knew it, she and her sisters were ushered to a stand—

"When I say 'jump' from the countdown of three, I want you girls to jump off to your right, and always keep running straight forward," Alvin quickly instructed. "Don't you ever lose track of one of us, and if you are to ever get separated by one of us, _never_ stop running and keep running in the direction we start you off in!—now move! _Run!_ " and just before the three sisters were forced to run against the wind and towards the same direction the train was moving, each of their eyes got to take a quick, unforgettable picture of the oncoming figure that would poison their minds with fear.

The figure looked human, like a male in his twenties with neat brown hair slicked to the side, dressed in a business suit—except there was something wrong with his blank face, and _his eyes_ —they were completely filled with black, appearing like large marbles made of glass.

"Just keep moving, and don't look back!" Simon shouted from behind the Miller sisters as they ran. The wind was pushing against their bodies like a flood of water. Brittany found it was incredibly exhausting and hard to run, especially when each movement really did feel like they were running in water.

" _Three…"_ Alvin began, causing Brittany's heart to skip a beat.

Oh no…they were going to have to jump…

" _Two…_ " he continued.

If it was possibly, Brittany was sure her body was overflowing with adrenaline and had produced way too much for her body to even stand.

" _One…"_

The world suddenly began to get quiet as the only sounds Brittany could hear were the loud _thuds_ of her heart, trying to calm her body down and prepare it…

And just like a bullet sounding off for the race to begin, or in this case, the _chase_ , Alvin's voice pierced through Brittany's heartbeats—" _Jump!"—_ and she moved to her right blindly with her sisters and jumped. It felt like time had suddenly slowed down as she pushed herself out onto the thin air in between a large gap between two thick, dark, towering trees and began to fall like she were sinking in honey…but the feeling only lasted a few seconds before time quickly sped up, just before she hit the ground. The moment she collided on the muddy, wet earth, her feet quickly lost their balance causing her to tumble over, rolling over a few times from the momentum.

Her clothes got painted and smeared with dark brown, goopy mud, but she hardly realized this when the shock that she had actually jumped off a train and was alive on the ground stunned her usual track of thinking.

She was breathing heavily, and her whole body felt numb from the cold wind—especially her face. She couldn't feel anything other than her heart pounding in her chest. As she forced her body to come to an unsteady stand and turned around to look back on the train, she managed to catch sight of a distorted dark blonde creature, pass by on the roof of the speeding steam train that shot by like a black python going in for the kill, just when it opened its frightening mouth full of sharp canines to attack the Black Eyed Being that had been chasing after them.

Brittany blinked her eyes a few times, not sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her as she stumbled backwards and fell, still trying to catch her breath…when suddenly Alvin's voice met her ears and he was helping her shaking legs to come to a stand, telling her to run. At first she couldn't comprehend what he meant when he told her to start sprinting, but when she caught sight of her sisters a little ways deeper into the stomach of the dark woodland, calling out to her frantically with Simon by their side. She finally understood what they were asking her numb body to do, and she looked to Alvin, nodding her head and began to push her shaking legs to run, with him staying by her side and pushing her back to help her catch up to where her sisters were.

The waning gibbous moon hiding behind the dark clouds was beginning to reveal itself like a clown taking off his mask as they ran, and the dark woodland now wasn't as frightening as it once was before, when all that could be seen was the gray silhouettes and the dark painted world full of shady colors.

By the time Brittany and Alvin caught up behind the small group of her two sisters and only Simon, but not Theodore, Brittany's mind began to race and wonder where the heck the dark blonde-haired brother could be, when she remembered the blur that passed by on the roof of the train and made the connection between the same hair color… Could it possibly be…?

"To your left!" Alvin shouted at her, and when Brittany focused on what her eyes were seeing, she was barely able to dodge crashing into a tree.

Glancing over to Alvin to give him a startled, thankful look, she then noticed that a few shadows of dark figures were actually moving with them, rather than standing still like the normal dark figures of the trees... Taking a full evaluation of their surroundings, that was when she realized her, her sisters, and Simon and Alvin weren't the only ones running through this dark, muddy woodland… As a new wave of terror filled her body and caused her stomach to churn incredibly uneasily, she somehow was able to fuel her body with a new strength and she pushed herself to run faster, so she was now running side by side with her two sisters.

When she quickly looked over to Eleanor and Jeanette, who grinned at her with a smile tainted full of fear, her face suddenly contorted with horror when she saw that a Black Eyed Being, that appeared similar to a human male in their twenties, but this time, unlike the other one, it had black, shaggy hair, and wore rag-like, torn clothes, that made him appear like he had just been mauled by a grizzly bear. What scared her most was the fact that it was gaining up on Jeanette's flank.

"Jeanette—!" she began to warn, screaming with horror when the Black Eyed Being leaped at her little sister, but it was cut off when Alvin suddenly hurled himself against the terrifying being and changed its course of direction.

Staring distractedly behind her at the tousled, golden brown-haired boy, who was now busy fighting off a Black Eyed Being in a match of who could get the upper hand and make the first blow, Brittany's running began to slow down, but Simon quickly called her back on track, telling her to keep running.

"He'll be fine—he'll catch up with us later," he huffed to her confidently, making sure he stayed in sync with hers and her sister's slightly decreasing pace—they were running out of breath.

Nodding her head, Brittany concentrated her ice blue gaze forward, when suddenly she heard Simon swear, and when she peered to her left to ask what the problem was, he was gone. She panicked, craning her head a little more behind her, finding he was busy with another Black Eyed Being of his own—this time it appeared to be a human female, probably about nineteen, the same age as Brittany and her sisters were.

"Simon!" she hollered, skidding to a complete stop. Her sisters, too, slid to a halt having heard her deafening shout.

"Oh, my gosh! Simon!" Jeanette gasped, her hands going up to her mouth in a terrified manner.

" _Keep running!_ " Simon barked. "Don't worry about me!" he shouted, kneeing the female-like creature in the stomach. "GO! _NOW!"_ he ordered, struggling to keep this thing's sharp nails away from his face.

Brittany pursed her lips, and catching sight of a few shadows figures coming up to them, she looked to her sisters on her right and directed urgently: "Let's go!"

Eleanor nodded her head, her face twisting with terror. It took a few short seconds for Jeanette to agree, but she eventually meekly nodded her head. Her emerald eyes were glazing over.

The three sisters began running once again on the muddy ground, dodging the trees as they clustered back together quickly from their slight separation. None of them knew where they were going, they were all exhausted and tired, and worst of all, they were protector-less. They were lacking their defenders, and they had no capability whatsoever to fight on their own. Brittany couldn't help but feel like she had lost something—dropped something as they ran and needed to go back to find this lost thing because it was special to her—but she knew the feeling was from having to leave Simon and Alvin behind…

For a moment, after some time, Brittany was easing up a bit—but only just a _little_ bit—when she found that she couldn't see any Black Eyed Beings following them close by, but then she had to do a double take when she realized that she was wrong to assume such an absurd thing, and that on her left seemed to be another one of those Black Eyed Beings, which she now assumed all looked like humans, except with glistening, eerie black eyes like a spiders.

This being running beside her a little ways away on her left at the same pace seemed to be a young girl, maybe twelve or fourteen, wearing a ghostly white nightgown and she had wavy, dirty blonde hair, with half of it tied up by a pink ribbon. She looked like she was one of those girls who'd wake up screaming to a nightmare, and as they sat in bed, they'd hear a strange noise, and curiously go out to seek it, only to be found dead or gone the next morning. It freaked Brittany out to think that someone that young could easily keep up with her and her sisters, but she had to remind herself that these things weren't human.

As she brought her gaze forward and checked to see how her sisters were doing, she bit her bottom lip, glancing back over at the creature off to her left. Her sisters weren't doing that well, and they looked like they were about ready to collapse… _she_ was about ready to collapse, but she knew her body wouldn't fail her that easily—not yet, at least. Swallowing down what she could to refresh her dry, sore throat, she panted out encouragingly, "We've got this, girls, keep it up…."

"Brittany," Jeanette huffed out. "I…I… I don't know," her sweet, gentle voice was breaking like ice under pressure. "I don't know if I can make it—ah!"

Both Eleanor and Brittany immediately came to a sudden, panicked halt, scared to see if there was a Black Eyed Being latched onto Jeanette and dragging her back to it, but to their relief, it was another minor concern both have had for their timid sister this entire time. Jeanette had simply tripped…except as they waited for her to stand, the situation wasn't as simple as it had happened…Jeanette's shoelaces to her brown hiking boots had somehow gotten tangled up in a thorn bush.

"Girls, I—I-I-I can't get myself loose! I—I'm stuck!" Jeannette cried, tears beginning to streak down her face in small, rushing streams. "I can't get my shoelace free!" she croaked. Her voice was breaking down into pieces as she wailed helplessly in the most graceful way anyone could ever cry.

Exchanging terrorized looks and feeling their stomachs flip, both Brittany and Eleanor rushed over to aid their fallen sister. Eleanor hushed at Jeanette's tears and whispered comforting words she wasn't even sure of herself as Brittany worked out the long brown lace through the thorns, untangling it skillfully like it was some hard rope puzzle. Her hands were shaking intensely like none other, and during the process as she reversed the knot the shoelace had itself in, she accidentally poked a finger against one of the large, sharp thorns.

"Ow," she hissed, trying to avoid using her pointer finger, when suddenly she noticed something glitter on her finger and had to stop. Mindlessly forgetting the rush and panic they were in, Brittany slowly brought her finger before her eyes, staring at it with wonder, mixed with a surprised horror, that the metallic liquid seeping out of her small open wound wasn't the red she was used to seeing…it was silvery white…just like how they had been told Asterian blood was supposed to be like…

Her heart pounded steadily as the realness and veracity of who and what she was engulfed her entire body and mind like a tidal wave crashing down on her. She froze with such stillness, that it seemed like she was in a room full of heavy water, beginning to freeze and trap her in place.

"Brittany, what's wrong? Did you get her shoelace untang…gled…?" Eleanor asked, growing quiet when her sparkling brown eyes landed on the foreign, silky substance seeping out of Brittany's finger. Jeanette's scared eyes suddenly filled with awe as she stared, hypnotized by the sight, too.

Eleanor's mesmerized face, however, didn't last long, for her lips slightly parted and she seemed to notice something behind Brittany…

The moment Brittany realized her baby sister's sudden change in appearance, her heart just about stopped, and fear held her captive from turning around to see what she already knew was standing there behind her, looming over her like Death himself, ready to take her soul and walk away with his scythe. She could feel its closeness to her… Her ice blue eyes melted, glazing over with fear as she stared straight ahead. Her stomach twisted uneasily when she heard Jeanette gasp lightly and suddenly clamp both of her hands over her mouth. Out of Brittany's peripheral vision, she could see her sweet, chocolate-haired sister shaking with sobs as she tried to keep her emotional trepidations soundless.

Off in the distance, just as a tear escaped Brittany's right eye, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, she spotted a shimmering movement of fur, rustling through the scattered green bushes that blocked her vision…the fur was dark blonde. Blinking her eyes clear of the blurred vision she was beginning to have, and getting her head straight as she began to have a new hope overthrow her sudden terrors, she squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head when she saw that the dark blonde fur creature was fairly close…

She was waiting for either one of two things: the cool breeze of air suddenly brushing over her, or…the feeling of blood spilling from her, and her life being drained out of her, right before her sister's eyes…

She swallowed, praying he would make it in time as she listened to the still sounds that seemed to drag out forever as she awaited her fate…

Suddenly she heard her sisters gasps, just as a low growl rumbled deeply like a threatening earthquake getting ready to destroy the earths surface, and she felt a smooth breeze brush against the top of her head. Upon opening her eyes, and seeing the new alarm taking over both of her sister's emotional condition, creeping up their faces and altering them in the slightest way, she turned her head around to see what they were seeing, and sure enough, just as she had hoped for to happen, the dark blonde-furred wolf, whom she had seen briefly on the roof of the train, was tackling the eerie young girl in the nightgown, whose glossy black eyes pierced through Brittany's soul like an arrow being shot directly in the core of her eye.

As Brittany watched the wolf take the girl behind a few large bushes and began to hear gruesome noises of tearing material, or maybe it was limbs, she averted her gaze swiftly back down to Jeanette's shoelaces and busied herself with finishing the deed she had so foolishly allowed herself to get distracted from. She felt like she had just fallen for the simplest thing every child learns when they're younger, of the whole "Don't ever take candy from a stranger," except her situation was much more intense than that, and she _still_ chose unwisely….and she knew better than that…it was her mistake.

Within a few short moments, Brittany had Jeanette's shoelace free from the grasp of the wretched thorn bush, and as she came to a stand, she found that her sisters seemed to be frozen with shock and fear on the ground, still staring wide-eyed at the things behind her. Hearing and feeling a huff of air from behind her, she turned around and found the dark blonde-furred wolf standing directly before her, with gentle forest green eyes that glowed in the dark with a soft shimmer to them. There was no blood lust in them…only concern. The wolf wasn't exactly the same size of a werewolf—of Bleidd—yet he also wasn't the same size of a regular wild wolf. He was definitely considered big, yet he was fairly small when it came to comparing him to a werewolf, which told Brittany that he was something else, other than a werewolf...

Shaking her head slightly, she pushed that thought aside for the moment and peered down at her two sisters. Glancing off in the distance, she narrowed her eyes when she knew she saw some movement from way far off. This wasn't over yet. They needed to start running. _They were still being hunted._

Temporarily glimpsing back down at her sisters, whose legs she knew were over exhausted and about ready to crumble down like a cement pillar about ready to give out and allow the mass it was holding up fall apart, she glanced back to the robust, shimmering wolf behind her, and stared down at his strong paws, which were covered in splattered mud, concealing each foot like a boot. Biting her lower lip, she brought her gaze up as the gears in her head began to turn, and she stared deeply within the wolf's forest green eyes, already knowing exactly what was needed to be done. Without a second thought, she quickly broke her sisters out of their frozen state and pulled them over to the wolf, who had laid down on all four paws, seeming to know what she had in mind.

"Whoa, whoa—wait! What are you doing?! Brittany!" Eleanor fought as Brittany forced Eleanor up onto the wolf's back. "Oh, my gosh…" the blonde exhaled, whipping her panicked eyes from one hand to the other, beginning to be very cautious with her movement, acting like one movement would set this strange wolf off. "Are you _crazy?_ " she hissed, cupping her mouth with a hand like that would prevent the wolf to hear anything and possibly get offended, if it had feelings and could understand her words by any likely chance…

"Jeanette," Brittany beckoned to her other little sister, ignoring Eleanor's petrified gawking looks as she helped the timid sister up onto the wolf, behind Eleanor. Jeanette didn't fight Brittany like she knew she wouldn't do.

Stepping away from the dark blonde-furred wolf to allow him enough room to stand, Brittany approached the wolf fearlessly, gently grabbing hold of its surprisingly clean, soft fur around his face. She ignored her sister's weird expressions as they freely sounded their questions and concerns, asking her what she was doing.

Brittany tried her best to block their words out as she felt her stomach begin to churn. Her eyes glazed over as she felt a brand new fear bubbling within her—and it wasn't of the wolf. It would never be of this wolf—she knew that as a fact. She was now positive she knew this wolf…it somehow made sense in her head that who she presumed this wolf to be was the only possibility. Pursing her lips as she stared deeply inside the wolf's calm, yet sad, forest green eyes, she nodded her head.

"Keep them safe, Theodore," she quietly murmured. " _Don't…_ try and stay in tempo with me, because we both know that if one of those things come near us, you won't be able to protect my sisters properly…" she sternly commanded.

Theodore bowed his head a little, closing his eyes somberly.

When Brittany looked over her shoulder, her heart dropped, and she pushed Theodore's head and made him turn around, earning a few whimpers as she hurried: " _Go, go, go!"_

There seemed to be a lot of dark shadowy movements heading this way—she could only assume the worst, and she _knew_ they were the Black Eyed Beings.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Eleanor asked, glancing from the wolf then to Brittany as she gripped firmly onto the wolf.

Her question was never answered, for Theodore began pacing himself, picking up his speed as Brittany ran her fastest to follow behind him as he took lead and easily made his way up ahead of her.

"Brittany…?" Jeanette called out softly, sounding scared.

Brittany tried to keep her focus on running and where she was going, rather than staring after her sisters and allowing herself to waste her energy on a waterfall of tears and somehow accidentally trip over some extended root coming from a tree. She could feel something warm beginning to streak down her cheeks as she pushed her sore legs to try and keep up, and at least keep Theodore in sight, but she knew that was an impossible thing for her to do, and that eventually she'd lose sight of him.

As the dark clouds moved across the sky, the moon began to put its mask back on, and soon, just before the white light stopped revealing the passing shrubs, bushes, and trees as they truly appeared to be, Brittany lost sight of him—Theodore and her sisters were out of sight. That's when the fullness of the fact that she was alone finally closed in on her. She desperately hoped one of the brothers—Alvin or Simon, she didn't care which one as long as it was one of them—would eventually show up, running beside her soon—she hoped Theodore would quickly take her sisters somewhere safe and then come back for her… Because if not…well…

Then it'd be a complete miracle if she somehow survived all of this in one piece and made it out of the woods alive.

* * *

 **Ugahahah! Pie me in the face** — **punch me! Oh, my gosh! I'm sorry! I lied again! You all probably hate me now! Ugh! I can, for sure, pinky promise you guys** **—cross my heart, hope to die** **—whatever-weird-promise-sealant you guys know of, that the _next_ chapter for _sure_ will be where I reveal what the boys are, and I can _guarantee_ this because I am currently working on it! Right now!  
Ugh...I'm sorry! I really didn't think it'd take me this long to get to that part... ;P  
**

 **Thanks so much for reading! :)  
And thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews! :D**

 **I'll try my best to update soon, just so you can _finally_ (due to my crappy judgment) understand the role I have for the three brothers. I'll tell you now, that Theodore is the only one that can shapeshift into a wolf, and before you go assuming they all can, he's the only one who can change his form physically like that, and that's his only form he can change into. ;D**

 **Ohmygosh!** — **I'm so excited for this story! Even if you guys now hate me, I hope you're just as excited. :)  
**


	11. Chapter 11

There was only room for two people to be completely stabilized safely on Theodore's back, and after experiencing and seeing the fear in her sisters eyes for those few minutes when it seemed like their journey was coming to an end, and also knowing that they wouldn't be able to last long on their feet, there was no way Brittany was going to risk her sisters having to go through that again and let their fatiguing bodies fall apart and be the cause of their death—not if she could prevent it—even if it meant possibly sacrificing herself... They were her sisters, after all…and when it came to their wellbeing, she could never be selfish.

Panting heavily as her chest began to compress with fear, Brittany soon began to hear other rustlings against some leaves nearby within the darkness… _they were catching up to her_. She really wished Theodore could've been a bit bigger… As she frantically looked around, trying to spot how close these Black Eyed Beings were, she found she couldn't see any tall shadows running beside her or nearby…but she could still hear them running alongside her. How close were they?

Focusing her gaze in front of her and weaving her way through the maze of trees and bushes, trying her beset to pick up some speed, Brittany's heart just about plummeted down to her stomach when she heard the first thrills of children's laughter sound off hauntingly. Their voices echoed throughout the trees, following her like she was inside a tunnel, bouncing off the invisible walls all around her.

With a pounding heart and an exhausted body, Brittany forced her burning legs to go faster. She was freaking out on the inside—she didn't know they could _talk_ … And now that she's hearing them, she was beginning to wish they never could talk at all. At first, she thought it was creepy how they were all blank stares and no speech…but _this_ , what she was hearing, was _far_ worse…

Once the piercing sounds of giggles and jubilant shrieks faded away, Brittany soon could hear them whispering in a tone that was meant to keep a secret. She could hear them hissing sinister things…and soon, they stopped whispering, and began asking her to play with them.

" _Where're you goin'?"_ what sounded like a young boy asked, somewhere from off to her side. When she looked, she couldn't seem to find anyone there.

" _Shhh_ — _we're playing hid-and-seek!"_ another whispered.

She swallowed, trying to hydrate her exhausted, aching throat—she's never run this much in her entire life!—her body wasn't used to this…

"… _my mommy screamed when she saw me the other day…I don't see why she was so upset with the heart I had taken from Daddy to give to her, to show her how much I love her…"_

Brittany choked on her tears as a frightened whimper tried to escape her lips.

A resonant shrill of a deafening shriek suddenly sounded off, making Brittany's heart jump. Loud crying quickly followed afterwards as a little girl's voice screeched: " _Owie! This game isn't fun anymore! Aren't you going to come help me?"_

Brittany didn't dare look back, out of fear of what she might see. And as she focused on trying to keep her scared whimpers locked within her chest, yet was failing miserably at it, Brittany's shaking, exhausted legs suddenly stumbled from beneath her as she stepped on uneven ground, and she fell to the black, muddy earth.

" _Shhh…look, the star fell…"_ she heard a little boy say somewhere off in the distance.

Brittany moaned quietly as she tried to steady her breathing and absorb the pain quickly so she could get to her feet and start running again, but the moment she was able to push her trembling body up and come to a giddy stand, she realized it was oddly quiet. The only sounds she could hear was the soft wind brushing against a leaf or two. The children's voices had ceased.

As she scanned her surroundings, trying her best to keep her breathing down low, she finally spotted a small figure approaching her from behind a bulky, disassembled bush. Her heart began to beat intensely within her as the urge to run came over her, but her body remained frozen. It was like someone had poured cement down her throat until it filled her body up, and then that cement had somehow dried up within her, turning her into an inside-out statue.

When the small figure coming toward her was close enough to identify, Brittany quickly discovered that it was a small, young boy, clad in a dirty, pajama onesie. He had a blank face and was staring up at her with a hypnotized look. She could see his eyes were completely filled with a glossy black, and she knew she needed to start running, but her body still wouldn't budge. While he continued walking towards her, she heard a twig break from her right, and when her neck broke free from her frozen state, and her head whipped over to her right, she found a ghostly, pale, young girl , dressed as a flower girl, coming towards her. Glancing over to her left to see if there was another child coming from that direction as well, she found that there was indeed, another small young child—a boy, dressed in ripped overalls.

Absentmindedly, she began walking backwards and away from the eerie kids. Her hands felt wet with the freshly painted mud that had stuck to her, and her slightly loose shirt now clung tightly to her skin, having absorbed some of the moist dirt. Her face and stomach felt repugnantly colder in the areas the murky, gooey brown substance was clinging onto to her in a thick, grimy paste. She could smell the earth scent strongly in her nose, and if she wasn't scared out of her mind, she would've screeched and wiped off as much mud as she could.

As she walked backwards, he could hear the yucky _sloshing_ noises her shoes made as they pressed and seeped deeply into the saturated mud; she found it was slightly hard to pull her shoes free from the mud's sucking hold after each step, and she hoped she wouldn't fall backwards because of it.

The three Black Eyed Beings before her, however, didn't seem to have any problems like she was having, and they each were taking impossibly silent steps towards her, like they were walking on air—Brittany couldn't help but hold a grudge against the mud for that—how come _she_ was the one having all of the problems? _She_ was the one who was in danger and in need for any kind of help. Why was the mud choosing to make her life that much harder?

Brittany quickly checked over her shoulder to make sure there wasn't one of those things creeping up from behind her, and just as she did so, her right shoe seemed to get stuck in the mud's sticky clutch and she lost her balance, falling backwards to her rear end. Frantically peering up at the three young children as they closed in on her, she scrambled back helplessly, unable to find her balance and get to a stand, due to the mud trying to glue her down. Eventually, Brittany felt her back collide with a rough tree trunk, and she wasn't able to push herself away from the children anymore.

Feeling the wet, coarse bark with her hands, in search of anything that could help her—a weapon or something—her hand finally scraped against something protruding out like a thorn, and she ripped it off. When she brought it before her, she found it was a flimsy piece of bark. Pursing her lips as her heart got stabbed with disappointment, she threw it at one of the children anyways, even though she was well aware of how pathetic that move was…but she was _desperate._ Plus who knows?—maybe it would somehow stab one of the children in the eye, cause some chaos or distraction for her to get away, and everything would be alright…

But as she watched the flimsy chunk of bark hit harmlessly against the young girl's shoulder, making it look like she had hardly been touched by a feather, Brittany's panicking body made her scramble to a stand and break out in a wobbly run, but she abruptly halted in her actions, for she found there was a Black Eyed Being slinking up to her in that direction…then she found another one…and another one… She was completely surrounded. There were so many black glass balls staring at her…so many blank faces…

Where did they all come from? How come she didn't notice this sooner?

Releasing a shaky breath, Brittany backed up against the trunk of the large tree again, covering her mouth as she broke down in frightened tears and sunk back down to the roots of the large tree. The first thought in her head was to call out to Alvin because she felt he would somehow hear her and come to her aid like he was Superman—she wanted to do that—however, she kept her voice down low and remained in her miserable state. She felt that calling out his name would only make these creatures that surrounded her more aware of where she was… She didn't want to substantiate her established existence to them. Doing that would make her feel like she has absolutely no chance of escaping…

As the Black Eyed Beings closed in on her, Brittany shrunk deeply into the tree, wishing it would suck her in and let her become a part of it. She shielded her breaking ice blue orbs and brought her knees in close as the tears painted her face—she couldn't handle watching them creep closer...and she didn't want to see them when they grabbed her… Her whole body began to convulse uncontrollably as she tried to keep her helpless whimpers to herself. Her stomach felt sick with anxiety as she waited for the unfamiliar hands to touch her…

It broke her heart that she would be leaving her sisters behind…she hoped they were safe. She didn't want to die...and it scared her that this would be it. She wasn't ready for any of this. Where was Alvin? Or Theodore? Or even Simon? _Where were they?_ If only this could be a dream…one that she would gladly not remember and wake up feeling the fear she felt now, but not knowing the reason as to why…

 _And then she felt it_ — a burst of warmth flare over her entire body.

She heard it—the soft ignition, followed by an eruption of gentle flickering noises…

She could smell it… _burning_.

Slowly lifting her head, revealing her liquid-filled eyes from the protection of her dirty hands, Brittany blinked away the distortion she was seeing of the bright yellow and orange blobs, wrapping their many arms around large black silhouettes

She choked on the thickness that had built up within her throat when the scene before her became clear.

"Fire…" she murmured, clutching onto the tree behind her for support as she came to a steady stand. Her legs felt incredibly sore and were quivering—hopefully they were stable enough to hold her up. Glancing around at her surroundings, she had to close her eyes tightly for a moment to help her drying eyes feel relieved. When she reopened them, nothing had changed, and the blazing heat from the large fire felt more real than it did before.

It was everywhere. Fire was completely surrounding her…and the Black Eyed Beings seemed to all be...gone. It was like they magically just vanished into thin air…

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Brittany took one last scan of her surroundings, like her head was a monitoring security camera, before she hesitantly stepped away from the tree, and began sprinting in the open areas that the fire wasn't touching. Every now and then she had to stop running when it seemed like she had come to a dead end, but she always was quickly able to find a new pathway to follow. She began to cough a little, but she didn't think much of it.

All that was on her mind was the fact that she had to get out of this fire before it devoured her like it was doing to the still life surrounding her. All of the trees and plants around her were smoldering, darkening into black from the burns of the fire, feathering off bits of charcoaled ash.

As Brittany ran, she had to slow down as she fell into a coughing fit. Her sore throat stung with pain after each cough she had to choke out, and she was beginning to feel like she had a feather stuck in her throat. She could feel her head getting lighter, but she pushed herself to continue moving forward. She could feel she was beginning to perspire heavily, and she could feel the drying, cold muck on her body beginning to liquefy on her skin like it were melting peanut butter.

As a gross slime of sludge began to streak down Brittany's cheek and drip off her chin, something black suddenly fled before her blurring vision. Blinking her eyes clear and looking after the black silhouette running away, she soon found that there were several other black figures running away. It didn't take her long to realize that these black figures were the Black Eye Beings, and that they were running away from something…they were running away from _someone._

Not too far away, off in the distance, there stood a figure, holding flames in his hands, commanding it to flare out at any Black Eyed Being that passed by. When the figure turned so Brittany could see a little bit of his side profile, her eyebrows came together and she contorted her face. Somewhere in her hazy mind, she knew she knew recognized who that was, but her attention got quickly pulled away from her sudden eruption of violent coughs before she got to place a name on the figure in her head.

Her breathing was now shallow, and her chest was beginning to hurt so badly to the point she collapsed down on her knees and heaved over, hugging her fisted hands tightly against her chest. She couldn't hear anything, other than the high-pitched ringing that seemed to be never-ending…

She felt like a giant elephant was lying down on her chest, compressing it tightly, making it tremendously painful and hard for her to breathe. She couldn't help but begin to softly cry at how much it hurt. It was unbearable, and she almost wished she could die right there, just to not have to feel anything….

 _It hurt…_

 _She could barely handle it anymore…_

As she stared down at the murky, brown floor beneath her, she began to see black spots clouding her vision. Squeezing her eyes shut, in hopes that the next time she opened her eyes they would be gone, she began to hear a voice inside her head, calling out her name.

 _Brittany…_

It was faint…barely even there…

 _Brittany…_

It sounded off much louder this second time…and it wasn't her voice she was hearing anymore…

"Brittany!" Simon's voice called out to her. She could feel a hand on her back—something she didn't notice or feel until now. "Are you okay?" he asked, causing her to grimace.

What kind of question was _that?_ Of _course_ she wasn't " _okay"!_ She could've sworn he was the type to be smart and observant, never having to ask any questions!—yet here he was, asking her when she was practically _dying_ if she was "okay"? Brittany began to lift her head to give him a piece of her mind through her hoarse voice, if that was even possible for her to do—

But she quickly heaved back over and broke out into another nasty coughing fit. When she finished her sore episode of coughs, she was exhausted and gasping in small, short breaths, and her eyes were squeezed shut. Her throat felt like a thousand needles were stabbing it on the inside.

She could feel liquid had come out when she coughed that time….it was dripping off her lips in thick drops. She brushed the tips of her fingers against the strange liquid that felt slightly sticky, and opening her eyes down to her hands, her short breaths began to come in and out faster, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

There, on her fingertips, was her silvery, white blood, glistening in the firelight…

As she continued to stare at her hands, she suddenly caught sight of the same silky fluid scattered on the dirt ground. Her he art began to pound faster in her chest as a feeling of panic washed over her. This wasn't a good thing…

"We have to get her out of here," a voice, other than Simon's, abruptly spoke up.

Upon hearing his voice, Brittany barely managed to lift her head with her weary neck to look up. On her right, she found Simon was kneeling beside her, and on her left, Alvin was standing there. She couldn't help but stare at him, remembering the image of the figure holding fire… Her curious eyes wandered down to his bare hands.

"Simon…" Alvin called out with a commanding, yet gentle voice.

Simon nodded his head, glancing over to Brittany with soothing, ocean blue eyes. "I'm going to be carrying you, if you don't mind," he mildly smiled, concern clearly written across his face.

Brittany nodded her head, allowing Simon to place her right arm around his shoulders before he wrapped a supportive arm around her waist and lifted her up, eventually lifting her legs off the ground with his other hand. Immediately once he had her up in his arms, Brittany's body began to relax and her eyelids overcame with a heavy need for sleep. She could feel her sore legs finally releasing the surging aches that constricted them from doing anything too vigorous, and her aching chest began to clear up a bit, like that giant elephant was slowly getting up and finding a new chest to crush, other than hers.

While she stared at the flickering flames across from her, listening to the calming _crackling_ noises it made, she could hear Alvin and Simon exchanging a few mumbled words to each other, but she couldn't quite make out what they were saying. And as she closed her drowsy eyes and allowed her drained head to fall limp against Simon's shoulders, she could've sworn she felt something warm wipe the blood and mud off her face, and Alvin's voice whisper, "I'm sorry."

.

It was very early in the morning when Brittany stirred in her sleep, jerking awake, feeling a startling emotion arouse within her. She felt surprised and her heart was beating fast…but, as usual, since she never seems to be able to remember the events that happen within her dreams anymore, and only remembers the emotions, she didn't understand why she felt this way.

Taking in a deep, lungful of oxygen, she turned over, lightly smiling at the smell of fresh air as she quickly forgot about her startled heart. It felt so relieving and nice to her nose, lungs, and mind. They felt clean and clear of the fire smoke, and she felt healthy—alive—like she wasn't on the verge of losing her life. Closing her eyes for just a moment, she reopened them, and sitting up in the comfy bed she was lying in, she took a quick look around at her surroundings. The dim blue lighting from the window to her left engulfed the quiet room in its subtle color, making the room appear duller with its simple, basic furniture one would find in a small bedroom.

She wasn't afraid since she knew the last two people she was with before she fell asleep was Alvin and Simon. Plus, this wasn't her first time waking up to an empty, unfamiliar room.

Sliding off the bed and onto the wooden floor, Brittany headed over to the window. Peering outside to the early morning sky, she found she was in some sort of village full of medieval houses. The square gray stones, which paved the grounds neatly, creating a large, wide road, were completely empty of life, and every house in sight appeared to be locked up tight. It was almost as if they were doing it on purpose, like they knew of the strange and dark things out there… Brittany pursed her lips as she reconsidered that last thought. Maybe they did…

She placed her hand on the window handle, ready to open it so she could lean over and get a better view of this old-looking village. Maybe there was something she couldn't see that would change her forming thoughts of this village—

"I would wait until sunrise to open that…" Simon's voice suddenly sounded off, causing Brittany to jump and quickly snap her hand back down to her side like it had been shocked by electricity. She took one large step away from the window, responding to his words like he had just told her touching the window would put her to an eternal sleep, much like touching the spinning wheel did to Sleeping Beauty.

"Sorry," Simon lightly chuckled, before he seriously asked, "How are you feeling?"

Brittany glanced over to where she heard his voice coming from, and found Simon leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed.

"Good…" she slowly responded, tempted to ask where Alvin was, but thought better of it and went with something else that was on her mind. "Where are we?" she asked, peering back out the window.

"Stoneforge," Simon simply answered. "A village known for its metallurgy and hand-crafted merchandises made of only the best material."

Brittany stepped closer to the window to get a closer look at the design of the house directly across the street. She's seen this kind of architecture in many movies she's watched. "Do magical beings live here or…?" she slightly trailed off, waiting for his answer to fill in the blanks.

"It's an ancient village, full of brilliant human beings who know of the magical world," Simon began to explain. "They've been able to surpass the problematic ages of mainly the Black Eyed Beings, but there are also several other creatures of darkness out there, by armoring themselves and preparing for anything else that may come to disturb their village."

Brittany lifted her eyebrows, glancing over to where Simon still stood, leaning against the doorframe.

"Of course," he added, just as she turned her gaze back out the window, "these humans have had the help of a few supernatural beings in disguise as a human, who still exist today—they're the ones who typically own the merchandise stores and blacksmith forges—which we'll be visiting today, once your sisters are awake."

Brittany slowly nodded her head, when something he had mentioned fluttered across her mind, giving her time to stop and think about it. "Wait…Black Eyed Beings?" she questioned with slight confusion, looking back over to Simon, only to find he had moved and was now standing right beside her. She quietly gasped and took an alarmed step aside, trying her best to cover up her sudden surprise of his existence beside her when he glanced over at her.

"Yes, Black Eyed Beings. They normally wander the streets aimlessly at night in this village, although…" He leaned closer to the window, readjusting his glasses as he did so. "I don't think you can really see any out there right now… Hm….yeah….you—you can't see one right now. Although, I can sense one of their presence nearby…probably standing outside the backdoor…" he shrugged.

Brittany looked over at him with wide eyes. "Backdoor? Like, this house's backdoor?" she nervously asked. There better be the mother load of locks and barricades on that door…

Simon simply nodded his head, keeping his gaze on the world just outside the window.

"Okay…" Brittany clenched her teeth, slowly bringing her gaze back to the house across the street from them. "Wait, so," she stole a quick glance over in Simon's direction, "I thought you guys said that normally supernatural creatures avoid humans…?"

"Yes," he slowly dragged out. "Except, that's not exactly a law or anything. It's just a general rule most of us follow by," Simon informed. "There are several creatures out there that feel like they can't survive without having humans in their lives…"

"Uh…huh…" Brittany twisted her face, frowning as she looked to the ground. After a while, she abruptly looked over at him and asked: "Are my sisters okay?"

He looked over at her and nodded his head. "Yes, they're sound asleep. Theodore brought them here safely," he lightly grinned. "They were really worried about you, you know," he added, crossing his arms. "You should've seen their faces when I carried you in... Theodore said they were restless and at unease the whole time they waited for us to return—they sapped him out a bit," he chuckled, rubbing his left shoulder in a massaging manner as he brought his gaze back to the window.

Brittany allowed a small smile to grace her lips before it quickly slipped off and fell over the edges, dragging the corners of her mouth back down, as she began to remember he was the one who had to carry her all the way to this place. She wondered if his arms or shoulders were sore from having to carry her…

"And the fire…" she began, bringing her gaze up to the tall boy.

Simon didn't look at her. He just continued to concentrate his ocean blue stare out the window, seemingly lost in his sea of thoughts.

When it seemed like he wasn't going to respond anytime soon, Brittany sighed, "You know, you boys never really explained to me or my sisters about who, or I guess _what,_ you guys are…"

"Your sisters know," Simon abruptly stated. "They pressured it out of Theodore…" He seemed to grimace slightly at this.

But Brittany didn't pay too much to his darkened mood—her mind was too caught up with the fact that her sisters knew something she equally had the right to _know_ , yet he seemed like he didn't have any plans to tell her _._ How come he didn't want to tell her? Was it that bad? Was she not mature enough or something? Because whatever his excuse was for not wanting to tell her, she was quite certain it was a bunch of bull, and she was ready to shoot down any lame defenses he had that flew out of his mouth like flustered birds trying to escape.

"They really beat it out of him," he grumbled. "Mentally, of course…"

"Well, what did you expect?!" Brittany failed her arms up. "Did you really think we weren't ever going to ask? Because buddy, you would be _so_ wrong that even _Einstein_ would feel the need to figure out a way to somehow fold up the universe, like it were made of paper, and use it like a bat to _whack_ some freaking sense into your brain!" she furiously fumed, pointing viciously at her head with both pointer fingers to add more emphasis.

Simon remained quiet for a moment, until he suddenly spoke with such gentleness: "Einstein's a scientist, right? He's considered one of the greatest geniuses, I presume, from what I've learned…along with another man by the name of Isaac Newton… Considering the things I've come to know about these fairly remarkable men among the human species, then I'd have to say what you said is quite an insult on my part…am I correct?"

Brittany gave him a skeptical, bewildered look as realization dawned on her. That's right…famous icons she's learned about from human history aren't ones that anyone a part of the magical world would typically know about… Beings a part of the magical dimension probably had no clue about who the heck people like Albert Einstein even was… The fact that Simon even knew some human history said a lot about him.

Brittany sighed and dropped her gaze, not knowing whether or not she really wanted to admit to what he had concluded about the words she had said to him and apologize. As much as she hated it, she actually felt a little bad about the way she had talked to him. If he was a regular human being, who she would most definitely classify as a nerd, it would definitely be quite a rude remark to him, and probably cause a few dents to his self-esteem…

Simon suddenly exhaled deeply, folding his arms across his chest as he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, seemingly to be thinking things through.

"Alright, follow me," he reluctantly said, apparently having already come to a conclusion of some sort. Waving for Brittany to follow after him, he walked out of the room and down a hallway with several closed doors, which Brittany assumed her sisters were probably behind, sound asleep. "I apologize about how this may seem to you," Simon began, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's not that we didn't plan on ever telling you, for at some point, it would be important that you and your sisters know about who we are and what we're capable of doing," he honestly said, leading her down a flight of brown, glossy steps, and over to an area that had a soft, warm glow to it.

"It's just…" he cautiously began, seemingly to be trying to choose the right words to say. "You'll come to find that not everyone likes us..."

Hearing that made Brittany contort her face and pause in the entrance to what appeared to be the dining area. Off to her right, on a rectangular dinner table, was the same red leather folder, stuffed full of paper like it were an overloaded hamburger, Brittany had seen Simon scribbling some notes down on. Beside the stuffed red folder was his black dragon pen, along with an oil lamp that illuminated the room in its soft honey glow.

"Some think we're incredibly dangerous," Simon continued, going over to where his belongings were, and gathering the scattered parchment paper he had written on and setting them neatly aside, he offered Brittany the seat beside his, which she obligingly came over and took.

"They think that we're a ticking time bomb, ready to explode—that we're dangerous and shouldn't be out and about, doing our job," he went on, settling down in his original seat. "And just in case that you or your sisters may have learned about who we are in some way or another, and may have already formed a biased opinion that wouldn't shine the brightest light on us, we didn't want to quite tell you girls until we thought you were ready. You see, we didn't want you girls to think negatively of us form the very start and be constantly fighting against us, because we're not villains."

As Brittany consumed this information into her mind like it were a sponge soaking up water, she couldn't help but blurt out, "But you guys have already done so much for us from the very beginning… How would we think badly of you after all that you've done?"

"That's the thing," Simon dryly scoffed, smirking sarcastically. "We're not the bad guys, but we're also not the hero. We just do what we're meant to do…and it may not seem morally right to you all the time, but it's what needs to be done, and sometimes you won't always understand why we do certain things… Some of the things we have control over and _don't_ have control over may cause you to fear us…maybe even hate us. But it's all in how you perceive things. It's a choice you make, whether you choose to like us or not…"

Brittany bit her lower lip, practically drinking in his words. She was so eager to just hear him say it already. She wanted to _know_ , she wanted to _understand_ them a little more. She still had no idea who the heck they were as an individual, rather than the brothers that have been keeping her and her sisters alive and safe from creepy creatures and the dangers there were after them, chasing them like an oncoming hurricane.

"Okay," Brittany calmly said, trying to keep a leash around her patience and curiosity like they were two wild dogs, trying to chase after a squirrel. "So…?"

Simon opened his mouth, but clamped it shut instantly, pursing his lips into a thin line as his ocean blue eyes wandered up to something. Cocking her head a little, Brittany turned her head to see what he had gotten so distracted by, only to feel her heart skip a beat when her ice blue eyes clashed with a familiar pair of sky blue eyes. There, standing in the entrance to the dining room, was Alvin and Theodore. She was wondering where Alvin was…

"Were you able to fix it?" she heard Simon gently ask from behind her.

Alvin heaved out a sigh. Glancing to his green-eyed brother beside him, he nodded his head.

"It's back to its former condition," Theodore grinned.

Brittany exchanged her glances between all three of the brothers, and already knowing they wouldn't elaborate to her what they were talking about unless she asked, she heaved out a sigh and quickly decided to not even bother to wait for an explanation that would never come. "Fix what?" she reluctantly asked, her wandering eyes landing on Alvin.

But Alvin didn't answer, or he didn't hear, apparently, because he simply marched over to the seat across from her, and sitting down, folding his arms across his chest, staring her directly in the eyes, making her feel like he had the ability to see deeply within her soul, he got straight to the point and completely turned the tables with his next few words.

"We're correctly called Guardians of Eirene…but not everyone is educated with that name. So, you'll more commonly hear others call us Keepers of Peace…"

* * *

 **Aha...aha...aha...the next chapter will explain their roles a little more properly. But I told you what they are! Hooray for that! You can probably make a good guess on what their job is, though...maybe not so much their specific roles...but you know the general idea of it.**

 **Anyways, thanks so much for reading!  
And thank you so very much for the reviews! Know you're all precious and sweet and loved!**

 **I feel like it's been forever since I updated. I really hoped I would get this updated sooner, like Friday, at least, but...that clearly didn't happen because I was struggling to edit this. :P  
Ooo - wanna hear something so sad on my part that happened last night by the way? I left my car keys in the ignition, and locked myself out. Uh-huh. That's the highlight of my week, other than the fact that I updated this.  
I had to call the police department and have them send over some cops to pry the window open. They were really actually super nice and sweet. I wanted to hug them both.**

 **Haha, anyways, expect my update sooner than how long it took me to update this. I can't guarantee a specific date since I've got a lot of homework...but I might just procrastinate it for this. It always happens anyways...it's bad. ;D  
**


	12. Chapter 12

Guardians of Eirene. According to legend, they were personal soldiers, picked by the deity herself, to guard the world and keep everything in balance. Eirene was supposedly once an angel, and in her rare case, was born very powerful. She believed strongly in world peace, and when the world was nearly swallowed up by darkness, she went to the ancient Runes of Eternity, and she made a vow that if she gave up her sanctity, making it so she could never return to Heaven, and that if she was given the ability to disperse her powers of lightness to save the world from darkness, that the runes could have her soul, and keep her imprisoned in whatever way they wished to have her.

Since the Runes of Eternity, which is believed to be administered by Death and Life themselves, thought her vow to be worthy and unselfish, with just the right amount of sacrifice, they accepted her promise, and the deal was made. The darkness was chased back to its shadows by Eirene's surging ray of light, and her soul was imprisoned up in the sky. Until this day, she supposedly remains as a star, watching over the world; however, darkness isn't something that can ever be completely destroyed, and because of that, Eirene picked three beings to help keep the peace—ones she had been watching that she knew were worthy—and came to them in their sleep, explaining who she was and what they were now meant to do, and when they awoke, they were reborn as a new being.

It's said that Eirene can only communicate with a species of her own kind, since she's bound by imprisonment, and her magic now is only strong enough to connect to her own blood. So, every guardian that arises as one of her three soldiers once used to be an angel, which is currently an incredibly rare species to come across, similarly to Asterians. There are only three guardians living at a time, all each immortal, and one for each element and sentiment they are meant to protect and keep in balance.

Currently, Alvin, Simon, and Theodore were the second generation.

When Brittany heard Alvin say this, her face twisted up and she asked how the first generation even died, because—

"How the heck does someone who's immortal _die?_ " she sneered. In response, she was told that there's always a flaw to reverse one's immortality, and that even though they're considered eternal and undying, there's always a way to kill them— _always._ It was only fair to Death…

The answer weirded her out, but she let it go and continued on with her next question she was actually fairly curious to now know: "How long have you even been alive for?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at all three of the brothers. It never occurred to her that they looked fairly young…

Alvin told her they've been around since 1803—they were very old, apparently, and since they had been chosen when they were originally eighteen, their body only aged for two more years until it completely stopped. Apparently, Brittany found out, that certain species age differently when it comes to being immortal. Some continue aging and live forever, while others have a stopping point with their age (typically age twenty for some odd reason—it depended on the bloodline, though) and they live forever.

Brittany quickly learned afterwards that despite Asterians being immortal, like most magical beings who were mortal as well, they were the species where time could never kill them alone, and that most generally stopped aging at twenty…

It took Brittany a moment to get this completely settled straight in her mind and allow the brothers to continue with their enlightenment. It had never crossed her mind that she would stop aging…

For a while, she repeatedly began slowly saying, "Wait…so…I'm going to stop aging at…" She never could get herself to say the next few words. She was only nineteen, still…that meant that this year would be the last one she ever aged…

"At age twenty…" Alvin filled in every time she asked, acting like an annoyed psychiatrist to her.

"And if a thousand years were to pass by from now…" Brittany often continued, once again unable to complete her sentences.

"You would still, most likely be, the age of twenty," Alvin would always finish, running his hands over his face to try and keep his cool, when he was getting to the point he could no longer handle her asking this any much further.

It was about the seventh time after Brittany asked those kinds of questions when she began to accept the fact that she may never age again after this year. And seeing how deflated the brothers were, she quickly changed her questions to one that promoted getting back on track with their backstory before she started asking questions for her own reassurance again. She had asked what it was like for the brothers to wake up in their new roles…

According to Alvin and his brothers, when they first woke up after their soul was reborn as a guardian, they had no memory of the life they had before—all they knew was that they had been chosen, and that they were now brothers… They each had separate lives, and weren't originally brothers. The moment that they woke up in what they thought was a foreign bedroom, they left their homes without a goodbye, and quickly found each other to begin their dangerous, everlasting journey.

It took several years until their original memories began to come back to them, piece by piece; it was much like putting together a puzzle with missing, lost pieces for them. Ironically, once they had their complete original memory back, they had found out that in their past life they actually knew each other, but they weren't very close at all…in fact, they weren't very nice to each other and always played malevolent tricks on each other like it was a competition. It was the day before they changed forever when they actually had a moment where they got along and fought together like best friends against a pack of Hellhounds, trying to protect a little girl that had wandered too far past the borders of their city.

"I mostly tried to be nice and bake them cookies," Theodore quickly piped in to claim his innocence, once their discussion was leaning towards talking about the kind of "jokes" they would play on each other when they were younger.

Alvin and Simon glanced to each other with uncertain looks when he said that so confidently. Apparently his definition of "nice" was slightly twisted and understated…

"Yeah, sure," Alvin had snorted. "As if coming over and sneaking in some weird, slimy cookie dough in my shoes so that when I put them on later that day, I was in for a 'nice' little surprise of my life, is your definition of 'baking' me some cookies, then that's messed up," he grinned grimly, crossing his arms and leaning back against his chair.

"He did that to you? Oh, please…" Simon muttered, rolling his eyes as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "He sent me an 'apology' gift in a tightly concealed, really warm box full of bread dough that had been compressed for far too long, so when I opened it, it basically exploded in my face and just about broke my glasses _and_ somehow knocked the air out of me…" He shook his head menacingly with a slightly playful smirk on his face.

Brittany could only stare at Theodore shocked, like she had just been slapped in the face by him. He certainly didn't come across as the type who would dare do the things that she had just heard about him… If anything, he would be the most forgiving out of his two brothers. Oh, how looks could be deceiving…

The dark blonde-haired boy merely shrugged sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as he nervously laughed, "Oh…yeah…right… Sorry?"

After a few more accusations and past trickeries were revived from the dead, the three brothers finally came to a sudden and quick armistice, and they continued back on track to what the conversation was meant to be about, acting like everything was completely natural and normal. Brittany was thrown off a bit by how fast everything settled down, and her attention wasn't pulled back into the discussion until she realized they were beginning to talk about their individual roles and abilities.

The three brothers explained to her that their supernatural ability and usage of magic connected them to their element and sentiment they were a part of, meant to protect, and make sure that it didn't get out of hand—that those two things were basically inside of them—a part of them—intertwining with their entire soul.

So, for Theodore, Brittany learned, since he was bound to the element of earth and sentiment of life, he could use any growth magic on nature and revive it back to its original glory if he needed to (which Brittany later learned that that's where Alvin and Theodore had returned from doing just that when they disrupted Simon from telling her who and what they were exactly; Alvin was absorbing his flames back into him, while Theodore was restoring the burnt woodlands back to health).

Theodore also supposedly knew almost everything there was to know about the earth, and he could hear it talk... He could hear the plants _talk_ ("You're joking," Brittany gawked when Theodore had said it. She didn't believe it. It sounded ridiculous. He simply shrugged with a light grin on his face, telling her, "If only you could hear what I hear now…".). Theodore's ability to shapeshift into a wolf was how his soul was connected to the earth and life; the wolf was like an emblem and aura of the five senses that linked everything to do with the earth and life together into one.

When Theodore was done talking about his role and Simon began talking about his own, Brittany then learned the bespectacled boy was connected to the element of water and sentiment of serenity. He could sense when people's emotions were unstable, and he had the ability to calm them down and mess with the mind. Memory Charms were his specialty because he understood the mind in many ways nobody else did. Apparently when he picked Brittany up during that fire, the only reason her body was able to relax was because he was using his powers to tell it to do so.

Brittany never thought twice about that moment until now…and it did make sense.

The thing that joined Simon with water and sentiment of serenity was his ability to breath under water—apparently you couldn't see it now, but he had gills on his throat (Brittany had prodded him to show her his throat—she had a hard time believing he could do that likewise to Theodore being able to communicate with plants, even though in the back of her mind she knew he spoke the truth. And when Simon did show her his normal-looking neck, he meekly said, "I told you you can't see it unless that part of my body is engulfed with water.) The reason for why that ability fit with his role was because being under water was when everything seemed to hold still for a moment and move in slow motion—something that normally would calm the mind and soul.

By the time Simon finished explaining about his role, all eyes landed on Alvin, which he began to speak shortly after the small moment of silence.

Apparently Alvin's element and sentiment was the most forsaken one out of the two—it was more negative—calamitous. Alvin was connected to fire and darkness. He was able to summon the fires of Hell, which coursed through his veins constantly. That was why his body temperature was always warm. His fire was the hottest fire out there—hotter than even blue fire, which was said to be painstakingly hot—and he was one of the only ones that could use it and not get burned.

He was also the only one who could slay a being of darkness without any special weapons or sorcery because he had certain abilities to help him to be able to do so… He wouldn't exactly go into too much detail about that and made it seem like it was a simple process (for some odd reason, Brittany figured he had some sort of magic touch). He claimed he didn't have a special attribute that connected him fully to the darkness and fire. He said he probably wasn't given one because it was too dangerous.

As Brittany nodded her head in understanding at this, Alvin went on speaking, saying that each out of him and his brothers held important keys that would help them always know if something was going out of balance: Theodore could sense when too much life was slipping away, Simon could sense when there was an immense amount of rage or sorrow arising, and Alvin could sense the measurement and type of darkness with precision. In general, all three of them could sense a small taint of darkness whenever it was nearby and what creature the presence it was giving off belonged to since they've grown accustomed to the aura each type of being gives off; however, what separated Alvin with his ability was that he knew exactly how much evil there was and how strong or weak it was.

It did seem strange to Brittany that only three of the classical four elements were reined by guardians, but she was quickly explained to near the end of their discussion, before the sounds of Jeanette's and Eleanor's arousal could be heard, that the reason why there was no guardian over the element of air and whatever sentiment it would've combined with was because air was already a part of earth, water, and fire. All three of those elements either needed air in order to survive, they created air, or they turned into air. Basically, the element of air was split between all three of them and theoretically did exist through all three of them combined.

"So…do people immediately recognize or know who you are whenever you stop by a place like this?" Brittany practically had to shout over to Alvin while she tried to keep up with him as they walked the busy, obnoxiously _noisy_ streets of Stoneforge—it sounded like they were at some daycare center with thousands of kids out of control… So many people were yapping while walking!—Brittany found it hard to believe that the streets actually are normally ghostly-empty at night, even though she witnessed it first thing when she got here and woke up.

Alvin slowed down a little as he waited for her to weave her way over to him. By the time she had made it to his side, he answered her while looking over his shoulder, in search of his brothers to make sure they were nearby, "No, they normally don't…and we prefer it that way…" He then placed a secure, warm hand on her back, in order to make sure he didn't lose track of her, and gently guided her through the crowd, towards their destination which was completely unknown to the light auburn-haired girl.

Brittany tried to glimpse past Alvin's broad shoulders to spot her sisters, just to make sure they were alright and close by, for being reunited with them for about ten minutes after they had been separated over a traumatizing experience was definitely not enough time spent before they went off on this errand… But with no avail, not catching a single sight of blonde or chocolate brown tresses of hair, Brittany brought her eager ice blue gaze forward, finding nothing but dull colors of clothing pass by in boring blurs of brown, off-white, and more brown. Brittany had to scrunch her nose at the despicable taste of style she was seeing these people wear. Did they just get stuck in the Middle Ages or something? If so, she would _gladly_ help them get unstuck…

She heaved out a helpless sigh as she saw an atrocious looking hat in the ugliest shape, color, and form possible pass by her vision. Peering up at the cloudy sky in hopes to shield herself from seeing any more of this nonsensical fashion, she tried to sidetrack her mind back to her thoughts on what Alvin and his brothers had just discussed to her earlier about their background. She definitely had to converse about this with her sisters when they had time alone…

When Brittany realized Alvin had stopped pushing her, she brought her gaze down from the cloudy sky, finding they had stopped in front of some old antique shop. Through the foggy, musty shopping window, strange jars full of peculiar herbs and miscellaneous items could be seen, sitting on an old wooden shelf, covered thickly with dust and a few webs. Turning around, Brittany stood beside Alvin and asked with slight unease, "Is this the place?"

"Yep," Alvin simply replied, seeming to be searching for his brothers, who were supposed to be with Brittany's sisters in this swarming crowd before them.

Brittany pursed her lips and began to also try and spot any sight of either her sisters or his brothers, but her search didn't last long, for she quickly got distracted by the fact that every single face that walked by like a zombie seemed to be turned in their direction. Eventually, she figured out that their eyes were looking directly at her eyes, appearing to be searching for something, before they would abruptly turn away.

After this went on for some amount of time, and _everyone,_ Brittany realized, was doing this whole turn-stare-look-away ritual whenever they passed her, she crossed her arms self-consciously and huffed, " _Why the heck do they keep staring at me?—at my eyes?!_ I don't even think they're even looking at my body or my face—they're looking at my _eyes_ …. _Alvin…"_ Brittany turned to the masculine boy beside her. "Is there something wrong with my eyes?"

Alvin turned to look at her. He had his eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he looked her in the eyes. "Wait…" he began.

Brittany gasped. "Oh, my gosh!—what?! Is there something wrong with them?" She habitually reached down to grab for her compact mirror in her shoulder strap purse, only to quickly realize… She dropped her gaze down, scoffing quietly with disbelief… _She had no purse with her_.

Her backpack wasn't even with her since she had left it back at the house they were staying at… Alvin and his brothers told her and her sisters that they didn't need it. It seemed like the brothers were wrong and clearly didn't know anything because Brittany currently needed something that was inside of her backpack… They obviously didn't understand the essentials a girl always should carry around with her—which Brittany did bring all of the essentials (lipstick, compact mirror, hand sanitizer, etc.)—but because of the poor instructions that she wouldn't need her backpack for this little errand, she didn't have it with her.

She wanted to strangle someone now...

When Brittany heard Alvin chuckle softly, her ice blue eyes shot up to him like a readying gun, ready to fire away all of its bullets it held.

"What?!" she sassed, crossing her arms.

Shaking his head with an interesting look on his face, Alvin gave her a barely visible lopsided grin, one she didn't have the patience or calmness to notice, due to her ignorance flaring up distracting sparks of irritation.

"I was kidding—you're eyes are beautiful…." He rolled his sky blue eyes away from her, clenching his jaw.

Brittany slapped him on the arm, crossing her arms with a hot puff of air as she turned away. "The _nerve_ …" she grumbled, quickly facing him again. "Why do they keep staring, then?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes at the continuing flow of staring people that passed by like a running river. She wanted to build a dam and stop them from passing by her.

"Relax," Alvin sighed, crossing his arms. "They're just inspecting…making sure your eyes are clear…"

"'Clear'?" Brittany echoed. "Wait…you're not referring that they think I'm one of _those_ creepers, are you?"

Alvin glanced to her briefly with an unfortunate grin. "Yep. Way back to the beginning of this village," he began to explain, "the Black Eyed Beings were simply thought of as queer people who were settling into this village…that is, until people's neighbors they've known since they were born began screaming overnight, and the next day, they seemed to have changed. Their eyes became filled with a glossy blackness and they socialized less. The worst cases like this were when children began disappearing into the woods, and showing back up a few days later with brand new eyes and a sudden change of cruel innocence… After a few incidents, that's when a few, good supernatural beings decided to step in and help out a bit…

"And now, everyone's paranoid. That's all there is to it," he shrugged. His wandering gaze made its way back to Brittany when she didn't respond as fast as she normally did.

"'Cruel innocence'…?" she finally ricocheted, remembering the haunting whispers of the abnormal children who chased after her. "What do you mean by that? Did they do things like rip their father's hearts out to give to their mothers so she knew how much they loved her?" she asked softly in a monotone voice, rubbing her right arm uncomfortably as she heard the original words that had been spoken to her while she said it out loud. She closed her eyes in a cringing manner as she thought about being a mother, finding what she thought was her child with a bloody heart in their scrawny, little hands, dripping with a crimson liquid that trailed to her husband's chest…offering it to her…

Alvin sighed, silently nodding his head. He knew exactly what she was talking about…

"What exactly happens to a normal victim of a Black Eyed Being?" Brittany questioned, staring right back at every person who passed by. She was only sucking up to their annoying stares because she knew how terrifying these Black Eyed Beings were, and she knew how big of a difference it made to be reassured that you're not anywhere near danger; just because she was dealing with these stranger's stares, though, didn't mean she appreciated a single bit of it. She liked having attention, but not like this….

"Well," Alvin heaved out, seeming to be thinking his words through first before he actually spoke them. "What happens to normal victims is that their body gets overtaken by these Black Eyed Beings, and their soul gets lost." Upon seeing Brittany's confused face, he added, "Like all human bodies, the one these black souled-beings live in ages too, and won't last forever—which is why those Black Eyed Beings we came across were so desperate to get to you and your sisters. You've got the key that would make them never have to change hosts. And, well, all they ever do is look for a new body to live in…so I'm not sure what would happen. All I can say is that it's something bad."

Slowly nodding her head, somewhat understanding his words, Brittany then asked, "How come no one's staring at you?"

"Because unlike you, this isn't my first time here in this village…" Alvin replied with a small, smug grin.

"Sorry we're late!" Simon's voice suddenly cut in.

When Alvin and Brittany looked up, they found their siblings all barely gathering together in front of them, appearing like they had just survived coming out of an intense haunted house meant for the thrills of celebrating Halloween.

"We lost track of Jeanette for a moment. She accidently tripped and fell, and nearly got trampled on. You'd think these people would have enough sense to notice," the bespectacled boy muttered bitterly. His ocean blue eyes flowed over to Jeanette, who was still trying to fix the composure of her clothes with the help of Eleanor.

"What?!" Brittany shrieked, shooting her concerned gaze over to her emerald-eyed sister.

"I-I'm fine, Brittany," Jeanette softly smiled reassuringly, but Brittany didn't seem convinced nor too happy.

But before the oldest Miller sister had time to say anything, Alvin spoke up and said they were heading inside the antique shop. Brittany exhaled deeply in response, and before she followed after her sisters inside the garlic-smelling place, she glared evilly at the continuing traffic of ogling people, wishing she could shoot daggers out at them with her eyes. When Alvin followed in after Brittany, for she was the last one to head inside, he then hollered, "Arkas!"

Brittany gave him a weird look. She couldn't even tell if that was a name or some weird greeting he was saying…

"He's an old friend…" she overheard Theodore quietly explain.

As Brittany explored the insides of this small shop with her eyes, she couldn't help but let her mouth part a little in awe at the eccentric place. From where they all stood, there were pathways that created a maze through the few small glass display cabinets, which were stuffed messily full of trinkets and strange objects. On the fading yellow walls were ancient-looking weapons, neatly hanging horizontally, creating a brick-like pattern along the upper half of the wall. Off in the corner were some drooping plants, looking like they had died of thirst.

When soft footsteps could be heard walking across the wooden floor, towards their direction, Brittany's wandering gaze landed expectantly on the open entrance behind the glass store counter, which held gothic jewelry and rustic amulets, all neatly placed on a velvet red carpet, beneath the clear, glass top. She couldn't see anyone in sight, so she assumed this _Arkas_ would waltz through from there—

"Keepers!" a low, gruff voice boomed loudly like thunder, causing Brittany to jump.

Immediately the light auburn-haired girl's eyes flew over to the source of the voice, and she had to blink in astonishment. There, standing in front of them, was a very short, buff man who had a long, graying beard that swept down barely past his thick, brown belt he wore to hold up his brown, dirty trousers; tucked in to his pants, with suspender straps securing it in place on each shoulder, was a dark olive, button-up shirt.

Brittany froze stiff when this rugged man's firm, beady brown eyes pierced straight through her soul, after having scanned through her sisters and Alvin's brothers. His eyes seemed to remain on her for what felt like an _eternity_ —definitely much longer than the amount of time they stayed on her sisters, at least. She was beginning to feel very uncomfortable to the point that she almost snapped at this queer, stubby man that taking a picture would last _far_ longer!—but she contained herself and kept the key to unlock her lips far away from her reach. When his soaking eyes finally moved past her to Alvin, who stood behind her, allowing her to breathe, his face seemed to melt into an alarmed, joyful expression.

"ALVIN!" he boomed, causing Brittany to jump again.

Alvin suddenly stepped out from behind Brittany and approached the buff man with a broad smile.

"Aha!" this stout man pointed a knowing finger at the golden brown, rustled-haired boy as he grinned widely, causing the wrinkles around his eyes to fan out welcomingly. "It's been a while!" he rumbled out with laughter. He then peered over at Brittany, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. "Ah—!" Brittany jumped again— "And looky here! Should've known! And to think that I thought ye'd want a _break!_ Should've known," he shook his head mockingly with a twinkle in his eye and a playful smile on his aged face. "Typical for ya—the moment ye get out…"

Brittany looked to Alvin for help. _What was he talking about?!_

Alvin merely chuckled. "Arkas, actually…"

"Kneel down, laddy—can't go around letting the youth looking down on me!" Arkas laughed out heartily. He was like a grubbier version of Santa Claus.

Alvin rolled his eyes but kneeled down anyways. Arkas smugly grinned, clapping Alvin on the back, allowing his arm to drape over Alvin's broad shoulders like they were best friends afterwards. Arkas was now barely a head taller than Alvin.

"Now, what is it?" Arkas asked in his gruff voice.

Glancing up to Brittany and her sisters briefly, Alvin began, "These three girls are sisters—they're Asterians"—Arkas' eyes widened like he had just seen the most miraculous thing ever as he looked up at Brittany and her sisters—"and my brothers and I are taking them to Seville. They don't know a single thing about the magical world, and they'll need a safe haven until they're taught all there is to know, so that they can survive on their own…"

"Oh, how nice! Seville!—I like! He's a good man! Has the most decency there is out there to mankind!" Arkas exclaimed with a firm nod. He then turned to look at the boy on his knees beside him, saying a bit lower, "Then I've been mistaken!—so ye're just _guidin'_ them…" Alvin nodded his head. "Ah…" Arkas gave another firm pound to Alvin's back before he approached Brittany. "'Ello! I'm Arkas Vali!" He reached out a friendly hand, which she hesitantly took. "Betcha this is yer furst time meetin' a dwarf!" he chimed superciliously with the proudest smile ever as he shook her hand, about turning her arm into jello. "It's my pleasure to be yer furst!"

"Oh, dwarf!—yes!" Brittany grinned sarcastically, mostly to herself. It had never occurred to her that Arkas was an actual different, magical being…in fact, it had never crossed her mind. How could she be so oblivious? He certainly didn't look like your regular human midget…

By the time the jolly dwarf let go of her hand, Brittany's arm was ready to fall off.

"So!—what's yer name?" he asked, placing his hands on his hips.

"Oh, um, Brittany," Brittany tried to smile pleasantly as she rubbed her sore arm. And not wanting Arkas to notice this, she nodded over to her sisters. "And these are my younger sisters: Eleanor and Jeanette…" Thankfully, this actually worked as a pretty fantastic distraction, for Arkas glanced over to the blonde and chocolate brown-haired girls, and beaming, he walked over to greet them.

As Brittany watched Arkas greet her two sisters and take each of their hands, patting each one of them firmly yet gently, unlike shaking them vigorously like he had done to her, she couldn't help but slightly gawk. _Seriously?_ her voice echoed in the back of her mind.

"So!" Arkas abruptly boomed, once again causing Brittany to jump, along with making a few things shake. "What brings ye here? Other than seeing me of course…"

"Ah," Simon cleared his throat, stepping forward. "We have a few things we need to discuss with you…in private…and…" He glanced over to Alvin with an unsure face.

"We're here to get the girls some new apparel, as well…" Alvin stated.

Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor all snapped their heads over in the sky blue-eyed boy's direction. None of them knew about this!—not that any of them had any objections, though, for each of the Miller sisters knew how sad their clothing was compared to the brothers…but still. It would've been _nice_ if the brothers actually had _told_ them, rather than surprised them.

Within a matter of a toned down heated words about needing to give a warning beforehand and asking for consent between Alvin and Brittany, the light auburn-haired girl soon found herself following reluctantly after Arkas along with her sisters right behind her. She was distressed because she didn't get to have the last say in her small argument with the fire-powered boy before the dwarf broke them apart…

When Arkas presented the Miller sisters to a small dressing area with a three-way mirror in all four dressing stalls, Brittany's face immediately dropped and she stormed up to one of the middle stall's mirror with a horrified look. Delicately touching her hair like it would bite her like a venomous snake, her hand then moved to touching her face, gently rubbing against the grainy texture like it would crack and break. Through the reflection of the mirror, Brittany could see her sisters smile and take something from Arkas, before he disappeared out of sight.

As Jeanette and Eleanor turned, Brittany glared at them, and they abruptly stopped walking when they made eye contact with her boiling eyes.

Sucking in a deep breath, Brittany slowly turned around, and flashing a sweet, grim smile, she asked, "How come no one told me I looked like a freaking zombie who had literally dug themselves out of their own grave? Hm?" She looked like a train wreck. No one had told her or even gave a single hint that she was dirty as heck, and she had no idea or thought about it until just now.

On Brittany's hair, she had dried up pancakes of mud smeared all over in a light, dusty brown color; her clothes were fairly dirty (she was well aware of this, obviously), but she had never realized it was _that_ awful until now…after she had gone out in public…. She wanted to claw her eyeballs out.

"It's not…that bad…" Jeanette hesitantly said, offering her oldest sister a small smile.

After a small amount of time and Brittany didn't seem to faze from her glowering, Jeanette's sweet grin began to fade slightly, but not all the way. With a sigh, Jeanette glanced down at the black materials in her hands and slowly walked over to where her steaming sister stood. As Jeanette handed Brittany a few of the items, the sweet bespectacled girl gave another go at cheering her sister up with another grin , before walking out and heading inside the stall next door on the left.

Eleanor simply stood still where she was for a moment before she rolled her eyes and shook her head like a mother scolding their child. "Brittany, you really don't look _that_ bad…" A small grin began to form on her face beneath her scowl of irritation. "Cheer up—you can take a shower when we get back to that house. Theodore said we're not leaving until early tomorrow morning." With that said, the blonde-haired girl headed over to the empty stall on the other side of Brittany.

Brittany pursed her lips, glancing down at the items she now held in her hands. Exhaling deeply, she grabbed hold of the tattered, burgundy curtain, which was scrunched up to her right, and flung it over so it fanned out and acted as a door to the small area she was in. Turning around to take one last look at her appalling appearance in the mirror, almost a little too scared to do so, she shook her head.

"No wonder so many people were _staring_ …" she grumbled as she stripped herself free from her dirty clothes. She needed to give her sisters and those three brothers a crash course on things you should and shouldn't tell a girl— _especially when they're your sister…_

Brittany couldn't help but grit her teeth and flicker her eyes over to her right and left, where she knew her sisters were, just one wall away. She would also have to give them a lesson on what does and doesn't look fine….

She heaved out a sigh and looked at her new apparel she was expected to get dressed in.

.

They looked like they were from the military, except everything they wore was black…and a lot more form fitting… It was unknown to the three sisters if their similar outfits looked ridiculous, or just as decent and action-ready as the brothers….

Brittany contorted her face as she ran her thumb along the inside of the thick black belt around her waist. She was slowly following her sisters down the stairs to the main floor, to where Arkas and the brothers should still be. Stopping in the middle of the staircase to check out her outfit one last time, Brittany pursed her lips, debating whether or not she liked what she was wearing or not. She almost felt like she was wearing some sort of catsuit…

The leather-like material that made up her black, fitting cargo pants felt nice and flexible—she felt like she could move with ease in it—it was like it had been painted on her, rather than wrapped around her legs in a suffocating way. The black tank top tucked in to her pants felt comfortable too; it felt like it was made of some spandex material. Even the waterproof army boots she wore that she thought looked a little unseemly were fairly cozy to wear, too… But did she like what she was wearing?

As Brittany finally headed down the last few steps, still unsure of her choice, she quickly got pulled out of her mind when she spotted Alvin and Arkas talking alone together off in the far corner. Staring at the pair for a little bit of time, wondering what they were talking about, she then caught sight of a tall figure leaning over a glass display case—it was Simon. Glancing around the room, she found that both of Alvin's other brothers had preoccupied themselves by browsing around, examining each thing they thought was fascinating.

When she glanced to her right, she could see that her sisters were engrossed in their own quiet discussion, probably telling each other their thoughts on the clothes they were wearing. She knew this was probably so because Eleanor was picking at the side pockets of her pants and poking at the belt, while Jeanette pulled down her tank top over her belt with a slight, uncomfortable frown. They looked confused, actually.

Brittany sighed, and slowly weaved her way over to the bespectacled boy. Stopping when she was by his side, she curiously looked down at what he was staring at.

"Wasn't it you who said you guys wanted to talk in private with Arkas?" she probed, glimpsing over at Alvin and Arkas. It was just a party of two over there, when she was sure it was supposed to be double of that…

"Yep," the dark brown-haired boy answered distractedly. "We already spoke to him altogether as a group—Alvin just had a few more things to talk about…"

Brittany's eyebrows knitted together and she had to look back at Simon, before bringing her gaze back down to the item he appeared to be studying so intensely, like it were some ancient artifact such as an encryption on a mummy's tomb.

It was actually just a rock, though.

He was staring at a rock.

A tiny, small, gray, boring…rock.

"Let me guess," Brittany muttered, leaning over the glass top of the display case. "It can destroy the world," she sarcastically stated, rolling her eyes. She'd be more surprised if she heard it was just an ordinary rock, over the idea that this rock was a nuclear bomb in disguise.

Simon silently shook his head no, causing Brittany to raise her eyebrows.

"It's actually just a rock…"

"Oh…?" Brittany gawked, turning her face away so she could make a weird face. So it _was_ just a rock…well that seemed like a first.

"But…" Simon began, quickly drawing Brittany's attention back to him like she was a deer on alert. "This rock appears to be made up of a making I've never come across before, ever, out of all my traveling… When you look at it one way, it glints like a pearl…" Simon muttered, leaning to one side. "Look at it another…you see an abyss of swirling darkness…" He then leaned to the other side. "This rock…it feels empty…yet, there are traces of magic within it…a very rare kind of magic. If…if I didn't know any better," he readjusted his glasses on the bride of his nose, "I'd have to say this is a remain from the Runes of Eternity…"

"Wait…that's an actual place?" Brittany gaped. She thought it was just make-believe from the legend…

Simon gave her a small smirk. "No…that place is real…" His ocean blue eyes drifted back to the jagged rock. "Its place has been lost, though. No one knows where it is… Some believe it's been completely demolished, and others believe it's still out there."

"So…then is the legend real?" Brittany slowly asked, dragging her gaze back down to the rock.

"That," Simon turned to her. "I can't answer for you. It's for you to discover yourself…and to choose to believe it or not… A lot of our world, you'll come to learn, is made up completely on a foundation of myths and legends."

Brittany brought her gaze up to meet his, and asked curiously, "So…do you believe it then?"

He pursed his lips. "I believe many things…and there are many things out there to be true that most don't believe… Our world is all a paradox, really…." He trailed off, straightening his posture and silently clearing his throat, as his eyes wandered to something behind Brittany.

When the oldest Miller sister turned, she found Jeanette standing there, holding an old, jade-covered book that was falling apart at the seams. Its hard-covered edges were fraying sporadically and the golden print on it could hardly be seen anymore.

"Um, s-s-sorry… I just…" The emerald-eyed girl gently opened the book, causing it to break out in an eruption of crackling noises. Jeanette coughed lightly as dust flew up in her face. "Um," she coughed. "I—sorry, I was just wondering what…" She took a moment to look at the image on the page she had opened to first before she presented it to Simon, who waited patiently for her. "Okay, um, this…" She pointed to a drawn image of a magnificently jeweled crown. "What…i-is it, exactly? Because isn't that, um, it over there…?"

At this point, Brittany had merely glanced over in the direction her younger sister had indicated to, just to see the picture of the crown in real life, before she began to aimlessly wander off. She was already beginning to feel like an outsider to that sparking conversation since it was so far off from what she wanted to talk about, so she did the only thing she could do without feeling like an awkward, eavesdropping third wheeler, and left.

As Brittany glided her prettily, milky pink, gel-painted index fingernail across the surface of a few lidded jars, full of dried up plants, that sat on an old wooden shelf, she peered up over to where her other little sister was, who was also busy looking at jars, but they were full of strange…objects…

Contorting her face at the sight of a jar with what appeared to be eyeballs inside of it, her gaze absent-mindedly roamed over to Alvin. The golden brown-haired boy was still engrossed with his conversation to the stout dwarf…but suddenly his sky blue eyes flashed up to meet Brittany's ice blue ones. Brittany froze in place, unsure whether or not she should look away and pretend she wasn't staring… But then it appeared as if the conversation between Alvin and Arkas was coming to a wrap, so she let her gaze stay.

It wasn't until Alvin began walking over to Brittany did she realize he had been fiddling around with something in his hand this whole time. When he had made it over to her, he wordlessly kneeled down before her and hooked something around her right leg.

"Hey! What are you—!" Brittany nearly stumbled backwards when Alvin stabilized her balance for her.

"It's for emergencies," he simply stated, finishing fastening tightly the black knife belt holster he was attaching to her right thigh. He then took the small, thin strap, attached to the thigh belt, up to hook onto the closest belt loop. "It's a silver knife," he pulled a small, silver blade out of the small holster, "it should be able to harm most creatures out there for enough time for you to get away." Looking up at her, he added, "This is for if anything were to separate you from me..."

"O…kay…" Brittany slowly nodded her head.

"To make traveling a little easier, Arkas suggested my brothers and I split up babysitting roles and choose only one of you to keep a close eye on, rather than keeping our eyes on all of you, and you're the baby I'm watching, so…"

"Excuse me?" Brittany crossed her arms. She was clearly not a baby.

Alvin smirked, placing the knife back in its holster, and making sure the knife belt was secured on her thigh, he then stood up, looking down on her. Brittany tilted her chin up slightly, keeping her strict face strong on her face. Just because he was taller than her did not mean he was king over her… _Ugh…it must be awful to be a dwarf,_ Brittany thought as she glimpsed over at the friendly stout man who barely reached the height of her lowest rib.

"What? You're still brand new to all of this, plus you do cause just as much noise as an infant, so…" Alvin shrugged, crossing his arms across his chest. Brittany's jaw dropped. He then turned his head to glance out the shopping window, partly blocked by the shelf full of jars, and clenched his jaw. "We probably should get going—we need all the rest we can get, and we need to get ready for tomorrow's leave…" He placed a hand on Brittany's back to guide her towards the door. She couldn't feel the warmth of his hand through the weird material she was wearing, which made her begin to realize why these clothes she and her sisters was wearing were so special...

"Simon, Theodore," Alvin called over.

Simon looked up from the ancient book he was holding with Jeanette, and nodded his head, closing the book and placing it under his arm. Theodore, on the other hand acted like he didn't hear from across the room in the far corner, for he was still looking observantly at the large, strange plants in front of him; Eleanor, who was still by the strange jars, looked up, quickly recognizing what their next plan was, and headed over to stand beside Brittany.

When Alvin looked over at Arkas to say his farewell and thanks, the dwarf's eyes suddenly widened and he exclaimed, "Oh! Almost forgot! Stay right there!" and he rushed off out of the shopping area, and through the door behind the cash register. After several loud thumps, he quickly reappeared through the door and came over to Alvin, handing him two black, scaly straps. "These are made from dragon skin," he informed proudly. "Killed and skinned the blasted creature myself!"

Alvin took the straps and began wrapping them just around the palms of his hands. When he had them secured, he seemed to test them out, but nothing visible was happening. After a while and the smell of smoke began to arouse within the air, Alvin grinned. "Thanks," he nodded.

Glimpsing over to Brittany, who stared at the dragon-skinned straps confusedly, for it was beyond her knowledge as to why he even needed them because he seemed to be doing perfectly fine without any straps, Alvin then explained: "My hands are always really warm, and some beings may recognize it as unnatural, or dislike it, and they may even be able to identify who I am…so these straps act as a glove-like barrier, and make it so people don't feel my fire as strongly."

As Brittany slowly nodded her head, lost in thought about what he had just said, Simon, with Jeanette trailing closely behind, approached Arkas.

"Hey, is it alright if I buy this book from you?" he asked, presenting the object in hand.

Arkas' eyes widened with bewilderment. "Buy? _Buy?! Pfffftttt!_ For you—all of you—everything you need or very much desire is yours. We're friends after all!" he beamed.

"Oh, then that's—great!—thanks!" Simon grinned, taking a step back, nearly colliding with Jeanette— "Oh! Sorry!" he apologized swiftly.

"Oh, n-n-no, i-it was m-my fault…" Jeanette flushed, biting her lower lip and clasping her hands behind her back.

Simon merely grinned, handing her the ancient jade book she had been so fascinated by. "This is for you to keep, by the way…"

Jeanette gasped quietly, timidly taking the book with a sweet smile forming on her face. "Th-thank you…"

Brittany couldn't help but slightly grin at Simon's act as she watched her sisters blushing face grin even wider. When Alvin asked what book that was, Brittany suddenly felt a large hand grab hers. Looking down, she found Arkas standing there, giving her his heartwarming smile. He motioned for her to come down, so she sat down on her haunches and leaned in a little, slightly confused as to why he'd ever want to tell her something.

"Take good care of 'im," he softly whispered, nodding up at Alvin. "And please, whatever ye do, listen to what he says. He's a man of his word, and a man of his job. He knows what he's talking about, and if he tells ye to run…run. Don't wait. He'll be fine. He's been through a lot more than ye think…" His face had begun to get slightly shady after that, and he appeared sad, even though he was still smiling. It confused Brittany slightly, but she couldn't help but soften her face at his caring words, and she nodded her head.

Arkas patted her hand gently. "Yer different, ye know that? Both ye and yer sisters…" His sad grin began to brighten a little more as he looked at Brittany, and glanced over to Eleanor, who had heard the whole conversation.

"Alright, we got to get going—Theodore!" Alvin suddenly hollered. "You guys can head back to the house," he said to Simon, who nodded his head and looked to Jeanette. Jeanette grinned and nodded her head, and the two walked out of the garlic-smelling shop.

"Theodore!" Alvin hollered once more, and the forest-eyed boy glanced over to his brother with innocent large eyes, nodding his head when he realized what was going on.

Arkas once again patted Brittany's hand, drawing her attention back to him. "Remember what I said, alright? And always remember, yer more powerful than ye think." He winked at her before he let go of her hand.

Brittany came to a quick stand when Alvin came over and kneeled down to the old dwarf. Arkas simply beamed and clapped his hand on Alvin's back.

"Come see me again soon, alright? And this time, in less than 700 moons!" Arkas grinned, giving him another few claps on his back, before Alvin stood, nodding his head. "Visit me, too, alright?" Arkas said as he looked up at Brittany and Eleanor. The two sisters merely grinned and nodded their heads. Arkas' grin widened even more.

Alvin then looked to Brittany, nodding her over to follow him as he headed out the door. When he took one last, brief glance over to Eleanor, who was no doubt waiting for his brother, then to Theodore, Brittany absent-mindedly copied him, and just as her leaving gaze passed over Theodore, she saw the plants before him become strong and regain their color, opening up their wrinkled leaves and decaying flower buds.

* * *

 **This chapter is slightly boring, isn't it? Very long as well... I don't know if I like it that much...so much information... It was a struggle to write.  
**

 **Sorry for the late update. This past week was awful (school, homework, tests), and I now have a cold from not getting enough sleep. It's the cough-your-guts-out-snotty kind of cold. Yeah, gross.**

 **Anyways, as always, thanks so much for reading! :D  
And THANK YOU for the reviews! I appreciate every single one of you cuties! :D**

 **I promise that what I have in store for this story is good! At least, I'm excited for it, so... ;P**


	13. Chapter 13

Before the sun rose the next morning in the partly cloudy sky, the three brothers and sisters left for their journey in the cool, misty morning, all ready to go with their backpacks. Arkas surprised the group by first freaking them out by being seen as an unknown figure off in the distance, secondly by eventually getting recognized for being his friendly self, thirdly by giving them a few things he thought the girls would need (traveling food meant to last forever; water canisters that can filter any water), until their body got used to not eating food all the time and drinking water, for that stuff was mainly only needed to help heal the body faster if it were to ever get overly enervated or injured, and fourthly, he just wanted to say one last goodbye.

After that small interruption, and Arkas was finally on his way back to Stoneforge with a hooded cape concealing his body, Alvin took lead and headed off first. Once Brittany and her sisters followed in pursuit, Simon followed, with Theodore picking up the back. They headed down the empty dirt trail that lead out of Stoneforge, which was surrounded by an ombré of dry grass that eventually became lush green as they neared the edge of a forest. Neither of the boys and girls talked much at first from their freshly awoken state. That is, until Brittany's paranoia of seeing figures following along beside them in the forest became apparent to Simon. The moment he asked if she was alright, she was smacked in the head with the memory that he could _sense_ _emotions,_ and she figured hers of fear was probably going haywire on his radar _._

It was both convenient and inconvenient to her that he could sense this sort of thing because there are some emotions meant to stay personal…

"We're not being followed, are we?" Brittany finally asked, rubbing her arms that had begun to form goosebumps. She wasn't sure if it was from the cool air, or the fact that she was a little nervous about the black figures trailing beside them among the many trees. Somehow she just knew that it was the Black Eyed Beings, and she was afraid she'd have to run all of her breath out of her lungs again… Her legs weren't as sore now as they were yesterday, but she was sure they'd fall off for sure this time, if she began running vigorously when they hadn't fully recovered.

"Oh good," Eleanor abruptly breathed out, like she had been holding her breath for a very long time. "So I'm not going crazy…" She glimpsed to Jeanette who was walking beside her.

"I-I haven't seen anything…" Jeanette quietly said with a small shrug of her shoulders.

Simon nodded his head, seeming to completely know exactly what this conversation was about. "We are being followed," he confirmed, "but it's now no longer that much of an issue as it possibly could have been…"

"It's those creepy bug-eyed things, isn't it?" Eleanor frowned, looking over to Brittany, who appeared to be staring intently down at the dirt ground. The light auburn-haired girl really had her eyes aimed on the forest beside them.

"It is…" Simon sighed.

"Then how come they're keeping their distance this time?" Eleanor muttered as her brown gaze moved over to the forest next door. She readjusted her backpack on her back loudly, in a manner that seemed to send a threat message.

"Because of me," Alvin spoke up from ahead of them.

"You…?" Eleanor slowly said, sounding confused. "What makes you so special all of sudden? They weren't afraid of you before…" She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes at the boy leading them. "So, why the change?"

Brittany pursed her lips as she brought her gaze forward to Alvin, then down to his hands. The answer seemed obvious to her, especially since she had seen it, and was there when he flooded the woodlands with his fire. She would be afraid of his flames, too, if she knew they would purposefully harm her and her sisters. She could hardly imagine what it'd be like if his purpose wasn't meant to protect and destroy evil…the world would probably become Hell itself.

Alvin turned with a smirk on his face as he looked at Eleanor. "Because they know what I can do," he stated, briefly glimpsing over to Brittany afterwards, who had now pulled her gaze away from his hands, before he fixed his gaze straight ahead of them.

Off to her right, Brittany could hear Jeanette's voice whisper gently, "I think he's talking about his ability to use fire…?"

She heaved out a sigh, knowing very well that if she could hear what her sisters were saying, then that meant Alvin could as well. He probably now had inferior thoughts of them, if he didn't already have them before, which he most likely did. Brittany wished her sisters could be a bit quieter when they spoke about things one should really never say in the presence of the person they're conversing about… Didn't they know this? As if high school in the regular world didn't teach them enough about this…

Brittany bit her tongue when she heard Eleanor hiss back to Jeanette: "Then how come he didn't use his fire-power earlier?! Then we wouldn't have had to run so much!" Brittany mentally had to facepalm herself. _They were talking so loud for whispering!_ But she had to admit…Eleanor did have a point. Why didn't Alvin ever use his flames earlier? Brittany curiously stared at Alvin's back, reminiscing back to that muddy, exhausting night…

She remembered she did briefly see him tackling the Black Eyed Being that had leapt at Jeanette…but he never used his powers then, when he easily could've.

Dropping her gaze to the ground, Brittany stared at her shoes, watching abstractedly as each one disappeared behind her as she took each step, lost in her own swarming thoughts. Maybe Alvin didn't use his fire because he didn't want to freak anyone out… As much as Brittany didn't want to think so, she knew she'd definitely have a dramatic reaction. The only reason she was fairly calm when she saw Alvin using his flames for the first time was because she was about ready to die, and after having been surrounded with no hope, it was coming across to her as more of a phenomenon than a terrorizing surprise.

When Brittany lifted her gaze to look back up at Alvin, she found he was no longer in front of her. Furrowing her brows, she glimpsed to her right first, scanning past her two sisters, only finding Simon walking slightly beside them, and Theodore trailing behind them in the back. Bringing her gaze forward, she jumped when she felt her arm brush against someone else's. Immediately she whipped her head over to her left, clasping her hand over her arm where she had been touched, quickly finding where Alvin had seemingly disappeared to.

"How long were you there?" she inquired, scowling when he snickered at her.

"You were that absorbed into your thoughts, huh?" Alvin flashed her a lopsided grin. "What were you thinking about?"

Brittany opened her mouth to retort back to his first remark, and stopped herself short when she heard his last by clamping her mouth shut. What was she thinking about? _About you¸ dummy—_ she could feel those words on the tip of her tongue, but why would she ever say them to him? That would probably heighten his ego. He most likely would jump to the arrogant thought first, before he considered the fact that she still didn't know anything about him, so of course she'd be wondering about him…

"You probably could hear what my sisters were saying," she responded tactfully, pursing her lips. It was still a bit embarrassing to her that her sisters weren't very careful with what they talked about, and how loudly they spoke.

Alvin nodded his head slowly, not saying anything.

"So?" Brittany pressed. "What are your reasons?" She didn't feel any need to elaborate anything to him because she knew he most likely already knew what she was asking about.

Alvin remained silent for a moment, but then he spoke up, carefully saying, "My reasons are possible for you to figure out yourself, although, they won't be one you'll easily think up, if you believe me to be as I'd rather leave you thinking of me to be…"

Brittany's face contorted itself. "Wait, what?" she gawked. "What kind of response was that?! Wha— _why_ do you guys always seem to respond with indefinite answers or riddles where it always turns out it's _my_ choice of how the answer should go?!" she huffed with frustration, flailing her hands up to the light gray sky. This was just like the answer Simon gave her back at Arkas' shop, except possibly worse because Alvin somehow worded it in a way that sounded like it was a piece of work she was supposed to open up and dig through in order to find the answer. It was like he was testing how well she paid attention to her English teacher when she began to learn about "reading between the lines" and "reading the words written in white."

 _UGH!_ She could understand why Simon would answer vaguely like that because it seemed to fit him—he was like that one obnoxious smarty-pants that knew the answers to everything, yet would never give the answers to you straight because he knew you would never understand it until you figured it all out first yourself. But for Alvin to be answering like this? No… He never came across to her to be some Socrates. So, why all of a sudden _now_ he decides to play this stupid game with her?

Alvin simply chuckled, lightly shaking his head. Rolling his sky blue eyes over to her, he responded, "Because…if we told you what we thought, then you'd never truly have your own credence. I'd rather have your thoughts be completely honest and your own, other than based upon a fed thought that was given to you. It practically makes everything you believe a lie, if all you ever trust in is based upon what others believe in, and not what you yourself believe in..."

"Alright…okay, Alvin…" Brittany deliberately turned her gaze away so she could hide her bewildered face from him. When she managed to recompose her facial expression, she turned back to face him and shot, "Was Aristotle secretly your teacher or something? Or maybe you were a student with him? Were you classmate buddies with any oh-so _astounding_ philosopher, actually?" She kept forgetting how long he's actually lived for, since the fact that he looked the same age as her kept fooling her mind—but still. He never exposed to her until now that he was secretly another version of Simon…which made her wonder if Theodore was just like this, too… He probably was.

"Uh…I have no idea who that is supposed to be," Alvin drawled. "But, no…everything I've said is all…me…" he grinned, confusion clearly written across his face.

"Uh-huh, sure…." Brittany trailed off, beginning to play with the tips of her dirt-free hair that had been put up in her signature ponytail. She couldn't help but begin to wonder how long it would be until she got to wash herself clean again, once this day was over. She had completely forgotten how it felt to take a shower and be _clean_ until she was able to experience that daily routine last night.

Exhaling out a sigh, she brought her gaze forward to the never-ending trail before them. It seemed like they had a long way to go…

.

Around the afternoon hours, the gloomy clouds had fully blanketed the light blue sky out of view. The quiet sounds that once surrounded the three guardians and three sisters had long been chased away by their loud conversations. Eleanor and Jeanette had split apart from each other and were talking with their respective bodyguard that had chosen to watch over them. Currently, Eleanor was asking Theodore questions about the food Arkas had given them….

When the Miller sisters had finally decided they couldn't handle the hunger their stomachs had begun to sound off loudly earlier in the day, they decided to take a moment to sit down and try the strange, compressed, pancake-looking cracker Arkas had given them. To say the least, Brittany took one bite and spit it out, whereas her sisters held their manners in a little better and managed to force themselves to swallow what they had put inside their mouths, although Jeanette nearly vomited it back up. Alvin, Simon, and Theodore had laughed at this sight, even though they had tried so hard to hold it in.

"The food that you were given is a traditional traveling food that dwarves always carry along with them on their journey," Theodore had explained. "It's an acquired taste, and it does take some time to get used to it," he grinned empathetically.

"But hey," Alvin had joined in, "maybe this will help you girls get used to not eating as much faster, and eventually not at all."

Brittany had flashed him a mocking grin when she heard that statement.

Jeanette at the moment was currently having Simon explain to her about everything she could have him elaborate to her about in the jade book he had given to her, which the bespectacled boy seemed more than happy to do so. He practically knew every single story and myth there was to go with each object the book had on each page. Apparently the falling-apart book used to belong to the astounding wizard Merlin. Why the ancient wizard had it was beyond anyone's knowledge, for the book simply contained all of the rarest and ancient artifacts known in the magical world.

According to Simon, the faded title on the book was supposed to read _Objet D'art of Fair Desire,_ which basically meant this jade book contained all the most vital, most magnificent works of beauty and curiosity, worth far more than any other artifact there was out had explained his own little philosophy as to why Merlin would want this book, which seemed quite brilliant to Jeanette.

Meanwhile, Brittany was having a much harder time dealing with her oh-so, fun-loving bodyguard of a chum…

Alvin had unfortunately entertained himself by pestering her with hideous, buggy-arachnid-like things that looked like they had been created especially for the word "hideous" itself.

When Brittany had overreacted to a centipede-looking thing that had crawled right across her in her pathway, that was when Alvin's devious, playful instincts kicked in and he began finding all of the strangest, most terrifying small creatures he could find. Apparently there were creepy critters from the magical world as well, with special abilities and purposes, whether they were good or bad…

Of course, Brittany could understand this. But she was doing completely fine without the knowledge of this and having to worry about what kind of creepy-crawlies there were out there, as well.

" _No!_ " Brittany firmly said, putting her hand out in the universal sign to say "stop" to the grinning boy approaching her.

Alvin leisurely continued to step closer to her like her words fell deaf on his ears as he stared down at the small creature he held so delicately in his hand.

" _Alvin,_ " Brittany warned, taking a cautious step back from the mischievous boy approaching her with a hairy, googly-eyed, hairy, gremlin-looking creature in his hand. A chill ran up her spine as her skin began to crawl will the paranoia that the _thing_ in Alvin's hand was creeping up her own skin, the moment she saw it move in his hand; its legs moved in the steady motion of a wave, which seemed to amplify the make-believe feeling she felt on her skin. As horrific as this creature already looked, to top its appearance off, it had not two, or four, or eight legs, but it had a _thousand_ creepy, segmented legs, covered in short, brown bristles. It was basically a deformed spider with pointed, bat-like ears…

"What, you don't like George?" Alvin cooed, stepping closer to Brittany as he gently petted the small creature in his hand. It seemed to purr at his soft touch much to Brittany's horror.

"You _named_ it?" she shrieked, making a face of disgust at the small creature as it seemed to close its five, glossy, black orbs in pleasure.

"Of course," Alvin scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Here—why don't you give him shot and hold him," he offered, extending his hand out to her.

Brittany took several steps away from him, shaking her head. "Alvin, if you get any closer, I swear to you…"

"Or you could just pick up the one behind you…" Alvin suggested.

The ice blue-eyed girl froze in place, and ever so slowly, she turned around and peered down at the ground. It appeared free of any hairy creatures, but that only scared her even more. What if this creature was _on_ her? Brittany swallowed, pursing her lips as her desperate eyes searched the grounds. She briefly glanced over to her two sisters, to see if they were having any problems like this with Alvin's brothers, but obviously, as expected, _no._ Brittany couldn't help but roll her eyes, before she focused her attention back on her won situation.

"Alvin…where?" she demanded, slowly walking backwards as she searched the grounds intensely, suddenly running her back into Alvin's chest.

Quickly remembering of his new fond friend that he held in his hand, Brittany recoiled away from him like he had shocked her. When she turned to glare at him, she found him smugly grinning, crossing his arms. "I think he likes you," he mused.

Brittany's heart just about stopped. The hairy thing was on her…she just knew it was. As her face melted to one of complete horror, her heart seemed to defibrillate itself the moment she felt a wave of soft movement on her shoulder. Regretfully taking the dare to look to her right shoulder, she slowly peeked over in that direction, jumping and shrieking as her hands flew up to shield her entire face from the creature on her shoulder.

"Get it off, get it off, get it off!" she cried, completely holding still. There was no way she was going to risk touching the fuzzy creature on her shoulder, even though she really wanted to brush it off.

" _Alvin_ …" she heard Simon's irritated voice say.

"I know, I know, I'm going to take it off," Alvin laughed.

Brittany's body seemed to relax when she could feel his warm presence nearby, and after a moment, she could feel a wave of soft prickles on her shoulder step off onto what she assumed was Alvin's hand.

"You can take your hands away from your face now," Alvin nonchalantly stated.

Almost a little too afraid to do so, out of fear that Alvin had the creature right in front of her face, Brittany first spread her fingers apart so she could see what awaited before her, and sighed with relief as her hands slipped off her face. Alvin was standing near the edge of the trail, bending down and allowing the hairy creature to step off his hands and crawl away into the green forest.

When he came over and began walking, which Brittany hesitantly followed beside him with a look of distrust on her face, Alvin began to say, "They're called Caramins, and I'll have you know that they're completely harmless. They can withstand extreme temperatures of heat, and they help regulate growth in certain healing flowers. They're quite friendly and very caring creatures. They're basically your typical pet dog."

Brittany grimaced, laughing sarcastically at this. "Yeah, um…no…"

"'No'?" Alvin echoed, raising his eyebrows at her with a small grin on his face.

"No," Brittany firmly responded back.

"You're only afraid of them because they're ugly," he stated, causing Brittany to abruptly halt in her tracks.

"No…" she defended, crossing her arms.

Alvin came to a stop as well and tilted his head at her. "Fine, then what's your reason?"

After a moment of silence, Brittany finally burst out: "Okay, fine! I'm afraid of that hideous thing because it _is_ ugly!" She quivered at the thought of the Caramin's many legs crawling all over her. And not to mention its googly eyes! Imagine touching it...or them moving to look at you. Plus, it was a hairy little beast… Only certain animals, for example, an Old English Sheepdog, could pull off having that much hair all over their body with it being obvious.

Shaking his head slightly at her with a soft grin, Alvin turned away from her, saying, "Just keep in mind that not everything ugly is bad, and that not everything beautiful is good."

Brittany pursed her lips, rolling her eyes. "Whatever," she grumbled, watching as Alvin suddenly began heading down a smaller, different trail on their right. This side of the trail he was heading down had a ton of large, sporadic bushes, with the occasional few trees, unlike the opposite side of the trail, which was crowded with trees.

Narrowing her eyes, unsure if she should follow him, Brittany questioned, "Where are we going anyways? I mean, I know we're going to this David Seville's place…but…" She hesitantly followed Alvin when he beckoned her over. Briefly glimpsing over to where her sisters were, to see if Alvin's brothers would lead them down this trail as well, Brittany doubtfully followed after Alvin. Not that she thought he would take her somewhere dangerous…she just didn't want to go somewhere if her sisters weren't coming along.

As Brittany carefully began heading down the slim, faded dirt trail that was covered in small rocks, Alvin began to respond from up ahead, "To get to Seville's place, we're going to have to take several shortcuts, and where I'm leading you now is one of them. Seville lives very far away from where we are, and without these shortcuts, our journey would probably take at least three months, rather than around one."

"Okay…" Brittany slowly nodded her head, listening intently for the sounds of her sister's voices to be following after her. She sighed with relief when she heard Theodore's voice telling Eleanor to turn down on this trail. When she focused her gaze to what was in front of her, finding that the fire-powered boy was no longer in her vision, she began to quicken her pace.

After ducking under a few outstretched branches that tried to block her way in the shady area, Brittany suddenly began to hear a few splashing noises, like the sounds of someone playing in water. Furrowing her eyebrows, Brittany quickened her pace at the sounds of female laughing voices.

"Alvin…?" she anxiously called out, briskly breaking her way through the embraces of the dying bushes that surrounded her. Were the Black Eyed Beings possibly following her? She couldn't tell if it was their voices she was hearing… She had completely forgotten about their lingering presence once Alvin distracted her with his ugly little friends, so she had no idea if they were still following them or if they had given it up. Suddenly when Brittany unexpectedly no longer had any green arms blocking her pathway, she stumbled down to the ground from her forced momentum.

While she recovered from her heart-pounding moment, she quickly realized that the surface on the ground had changed, and was now covered sparsely in healthy green grass, which eventually became fuller further down the small pathway ahead of her that elevated upwards. When she peered up at her surroundings, she found she was in a fairly large tunnel, molded out by small-leaved bushes. It was almost completely dark, since the sky above was already dark itself, but there was a dim, shady light that made everything still visible.

Coming to a steady stand, Brittany dusted herself off, taking another scan of her surroundings once more, before she slowly crept up towards the end of the bush tunnel. The sounds of splashing water and female laughter became louder as she neared the end of the tunnel, making her clench her teeth nervously.

"Alvin…?" she hesitantly called out once more, unsure if she should really let whatever it was out there aware of her presence. She probably should've kept her mouth shut…

When she slowly emerged out of the tunnel and had made it to the top of the round entrance, she was struck with a sense of nostalgia at the sight. Despite the gloomy, monochromatic appearance the place before her portrayed, oddly enough, it was just like a replica of that same pond in that aspen groves, which she used to visit daily, way back when she was little. Everything seemed peaceful, like nothing could ever disturb the silence, and the pond was as clear as a mirror, reflecting the mossy trees that shaded over the place perfectly on its still surface.

 _Wait…_ Brittany's face contorted itself. She _knew_ she heard the water splashing…yet here it was, still as glass. And even though there was the possibility that there could be other bodies of water hidden in this labyrinth of bushes and trees not too far away, that idea just seemed absurd to her—she knew this had to be the only body of water hidden in this place—it made more sense for it to be like that…

Ever so slowly, Brittany began to approach the tranquil pond, once again, scanning her surroundings to see if there was any obvious signs of danger nearby. She felt exposed in the peaceful clearing, and the pure silence, making her feel like she was inside some bubble, was beginning to bother her. By the time she was in close distance to the small body of water, she slowly kneeled down on the soft, glistening, green grass, and peered over the edge to stare at the clear water. She couldn't see what was hidden inside the pure liquid, for her vibrant reflection blocked her view—

 _Splash._

Brittany gasped at the noise, feeling her stomach jump to her heart, and shot her gaze up to graze her view over the surface of the water. There were no signs of movement on the mirror-like exterior—no expanding rings of circles or small waves of disturbance. She began to chew on her lower lip discreetly, as she cautiously peered back down at her awaiting reflection. She wanted to distort the image of herself, to see if she was being delusional about the noises and to see if she could look past her own image and see within the water.

Once again, taking another cautious scan of her surroundings, Brittany dropped her gaze back down to the still surface. Leaning down a little, she slowly reached her hand down to touch the water. Her ice blue eyes stared securely at the image of herself reaching up to meet her touch, when she suddenly noticed a strange movement in the background. She froze, concentrating her vision on what appeared to be someone else's face rising up out of her own reflection—

A face of terrifying demeanor abruptly rose out of the water and hissed up at her, threatening her with its jagged sharp teeth and blood red eyes. Brittany swiftly jumped backwards and collided with a straight, hard surface, gasping with large eyes at the sudden sight, just as the sight of a metallic, spiky fin that reflected the colors found on a peacock's tail swiftly flapped out of her vision and that familiar splashing noise sounded off.

Brittany breathed heavily as she took a moment to feel her own accelerated heartbeat pound inside her chest.

"They won't harm you," Alvin's voice suddenly sounded off from above her.

Brittany froze, looking up in the direction she heard his voice, quickly reminded that she had fallen backwards on a hard surface, other than what should've been the soft grass _. How long has he been standing there?_ she snapped inside her head. Furthermore, she confusedly thought, remembering how recently she had taken a surveillance of her surroundings, _Since when did_ he _arrive?_

"Excuse me?" she finally huffed, finding a familiar face with a lopsided, grim smirk staring down at her with sky blue eyes.

* * *

 **It's weird. I was reading this over, and it felt short...**

 **Thanks for reading! :D  
And always, always, always, thank you so very much for the reviews! :DDD Love all of you darlings!  
**

 **The next chapter, I think, will be what will set everything in motion...maybe. Either the next one or the one after it. :)**


	14. Chapter 14

"They'll only harm you if you're human," Alvin simply stated, leaning down and lifting Brittany up to her feet.

"And _who_ exactly are we talking about?" Brittany questioned as Alvin stepped out from behind her and approached the still pond, kneeling down where she had not too long ago.

"The sirens," he explained distractedly, just as the same, threatening face that had emerged out of the water earlier came back, except this time the being that owned this hideous face stayed, staring up at Alvin.

"Hello, Calypso," he greeted.

The siren bowed her head a little, and placing her sickly pale green hands with pointy, sharp, yellowing nails on the grassy surface at Alvin's feet, she lifted herself up to reach his level, and every disturbing feature that made her unpleasant to look at melted away like a candle on fire. Her mossy green hair streamed out with luxurious bright orange hair that had golden strands which gleamed like the sun was shining on it; the unhealthy dullness her skin showed faded quickly to a creamy pearl that seemed to have a sparkling glow to it; her rotten nails shrunk and became perfectly manicured; her sharp teeth became straight and white behind her glistening nude lips; and last of all, as her cheeks filled with a healthy light pink glow, her eyes were drained of its redness and her black irises were filled with a vibrant topaz green, which all of it was framed by dark long lashes.

Brittany could only stare in awe, as this transformation came to its final results. The siren looked just like the type of mermaids she would imagine from her childhood at that pond… Her face began to fall a little as realization dawned on her. That probably wasn't her imagination—it was reality—and the mermaids she thought she was imagining were _real_ …and they were sirens, not mermaids…if there was even a difference between the two.

The orange-haired siren that remained before Alvin flashed her beautiful smile at him, saying in a lovely-toned voice that would lure anyone to come near her and not even consider that she had another form of pure horror: "Hello, Alvin, Keeper of Fire and Darkness. Do you wish to travel by me and my sisters' mirror?"

"Why else would I be here, Calypso?" Alvin spoke, flashing his charming smile at the siren.

Narrowing her sultry eyes at him, Calypso tilted her head, beginning to twirl a strand of her curly long hair that covered all of her chest. "Really…?" she hummed. Alvin's expression simply remained as it was while he slightly nodded his head in response. Calypso dropped her hair, leaning forward a bit. "Oh, so it's true then…such a shame," she purred with a slight grin, like she didn't believe him at all. She then caressed his face, perhaps expecting a reaction from him, for her alluring face immediately fell once she grasped he was dead serious. "You really have changed," she pouted. "Hmm…you used to be so _fun_ …" she droned as she examined her nails, peering up from them to pierce her topaz green orbs into Alvin's sky blue ones.

Alvin chuckled, appearing undaunted by her seductive, taunting voice. "Calypso, I want you to meet my friend…" he began, peering back at Brittany, who had remained completely silent as she watched this whole intercourse go on in an entranced state. She was stunned and didn't know what to think. At first she was mesmerized from the connected truth of her childhood she had linked this siren to, but then she became envious as she realized how gorgeous this siren was, and now here she was, completely confused with her newfound sudden feeling of jealousy…

 _She almost wished…_

Brittany had to put a quick stop to that forming thought, scolding herself that she had no reason to feel like this. It was absolutely _ridiculous…_ yet in her defense, she knew it was completely natural for her to think like this. It didn't matter whether or not she actually liked Alvin in _that_ kind of way—she never liked it when there seemed to be another dominant female that could grab another male's attention so well, especially when she was present…. It was just a painful part of her pride that she struggled coping with when the situation came around every now and then.

Alvin suddenly cleared his throat loudly, softly calling out, "Brittany…"

Blinking, Brittany looked over and locked eyes with Alvin, completely unaware of the spotlight on her. He gave her a smug grin, nodding her to come over with his head. The oldest Miller sister indolently did so and kneeled down beside him, wondering how long they had been staring at her, just to get her attention… She hoped it wasn't that long…

The shimmering siren in the mirror-like water moved over curiously to take a long look at Brittany. "Look me in the eyes," she ordered, and Brittany did so, unable to control how much she was blinking. After a while, Calypso grinned affably, nodding her head in acknowledgement. "What is she?" she curiously asked, peering over at Alvin with a twinkle of excitement in her eyes.

Brittany exhaled deeply once her gaze was free from this siren's hold. As she viewed over the mirror surface of the pond, she had to blink in surprise, finding there were several other beautiful sirens, barely peeping their heads up out of the water to stare at her curiously with their glittering eyes.

"She's an Asterian," Brittany could hear Alvin answer, and upon hearing Calypso's sudden gasp of surprise, the light auburn-haired girl had to look over to the two with wonder. She knew that being an Asterian was supposedly something big, but she still didn't understand why…

"That explains the purity I see in her eyes," Calypso hummed, while she tapped a smooth nail against her plush lips. "No wonder her aura emanates something of what I like to call, 'goddess'…she definitely looks like an Asterian, now that you've said it. It's been a while since we served one of her species..." Calypso suddenly moved back over to stare Brittany directly in the eyes. "What's her name?" the siren absent-mindedly asked Alvin, even though she easily could've asked Brittany herself.

"Brittany," Alvin answered.

"Hmm…" Calypso grinned.

As the voices of Alvin's brothers and Brittany's sisters became audible in the background, all eyes turned to stare at the oncoming company, and after a few moments, Theodore emerged from the round entrance created from the bushes, quickly followed by Eleanor, then Jeanette and Simon. The group of four looked aimlessly around first, before they seemed to spot Alvin and Brittany and their company of sirens.

"Hello, Calypso," Simon greeted with a small nod of his head. "How are you doing?"

"Lovely, now that you asked," the orange-haired siren lilted pleasurably.

"Hey!" Theodore simply waved, to which the siren nodded her head in salutation.

When Calypso turned to look at Brittany's shocked sisters, the siren grinned after she studied them over, and turning back to Alvin, she nodded her head. "I believe everyone here is eligible to travel by our mirror…" Pursing her lips, Calypso curiously gazed back at Brittany's sisters, then glimpsed over at Brittany herself, before she looked back over at Alvin. "Three Asterians—how rare," she conversed with a look of wonder. "The last time one of my kind ever came across this many Asterians was about twelve years ago, over in the Halcyon Region—only one of them would visit daily, until one day, she just stopped coming. She was just a young girl then…

"We all figured she was dead, for she often came alone, and she didn't appear to have any parents... And you know how dangerous it is nowadays—you're never safe anymore to take a leisurely stroll anywhere without having some obtruding darkness bother you. But now that I think about it, and consider the description I remember receiving about this little girl…I don't think she ever died," Calypso began to grin, bringing her eyes up to Brittany.

The ice blue-eyed girl stared back at the siren, not daring to look over at Alvin, whose eyes were lingering on her, too. She wasn't sure if she should smile, show some reaction, or what because she was beginning to feel a little awkward. She actually knew what Calypso was talking about because she lived it. _I never died,_ she wanted to say. _I just had to leave_ … But she couldn't ever seem to find her voice when the right moment to slip this in came. Saying those words now was past being too late…

"Well, these three girls are sisters…" Alvin informed, breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere that was slowly beginning to drown Brittany.

"Oh…? I should go get Janessa. Maybe she remembers…" Her topaz green gaze drifted over to Brittany momentarily. "I'll be back," Calypso smiled, ready to take her leave.

"Are those…mermaids?" Jeanette's quiet voice could suddenly be heard in the background.

"Sirens," Calypso corrected in a singsong voice. "Mermaids tend to be nicer, and unlike us, they have the ability to change their tail fins for legs when on dry land…plus, they have a tendency to care a little bit too much about their looks, if you ask me," she stated, flashing her dazzling smile before she pushed herself backwards and flipped into the water, followed by the other sirens that had been staring, revealing their shimmering tails of cool colors.

As they disappeared beneath the smooth surface, the mirror-like water didn't move one bit from the sudden movement, seeming to absorb it all in like the surface was a sort of translucent veil the sirens passed through, rather than liquid. The only thing that was accurate about the happening was the sounds of splashing water that sounded off.

Brittany was slightly gaping as she came to a slow stand, having seen Alvin stand up beside her out of her peripheral vision. No wonder she never saw any movement on the surface whenever she'd hear the splashing noises… It seemed wrong that she could hear the pond water splash, yet there was no visible action to support the noise.

"Wait—so this is our way of transportation?" Eleanor suddenly asked, gazing around at everyone for an answer.

"Yep," Alvin responded, causing all three of the Miller sister's eyes to land on him.

"Wait, _this_ is really the shortcut you were talking about?" Brittany inquired, staring confusedly at the pond. "What—is this some portal?"

Alvin nodded his head. "It can easily be one of the fastest ways of transportation, as long as you know where each jump portal goes… These only lead to one connected place. These are called Excursion Mirrors," he explained. "The sirens guard them and only permit those who are of magical blood to enter. If a human being were to ever approach one of these ponds, well…that's where your myth about sirens luring men to their death become accurate, except, it's not just men they're willing to kill. It's women, too. And depending on your destination, there are some sirens in specific areas that are willing to take children's lives as well. This is just how they keep the portals safe and protected from the use of humans…"

"So…what are we supposed to do, then?" Eleanor questioned, crossing her arms. "Jump in on the count of three, or what? Are they going to come back?—the, um, sirens?"

"You're supposed to take a siren's hand when she's ready, and she'll pull you down and take you to the Excursion Mirror the one you're at is linked to safely," Theodore chimed in, just as Calypso and five other sirens returned.

The forest-eyed boy motioned for Eleanor to come over as he approached a blonde siren. The pretty creature grinned, offering her fair hand, which Theodore had Eleanor, who was obviously hesitant, take. Then moving over to the mahogany-haired siren next door, the dark blonde-haired boy took her fair hand, grinning over at the youngest Miller sister reassuringly. "We'll go together—at the same time," he eased.

Eleanor pursed her lips, slowly nodding her head, and the moment Theodore gave the "okay" to go by smiling encouragingly to the the two sirens holding his and Eleanor's hands, the mystical creatures pulled the pair over into the mirror-like surface, sounding off a loud _splash_. Brittany and Jeanette looked to each other after they watched their baby sister immerse into the mirror-like surface, appearing to have been swallowed up by it.

"Okay, well, here goes nothing, right?" Jeanette gently grinned, approaching a dark skinned siren, whose glittering coating glowed in such an alluring way. "He-hello," the bespectacled girl greeted, trying to hide her fear of the fact that the siren before her could potentially drown her.

"Is this your first time?" the siren asked with such a smooth voice.

Jeanette nodded her head as she hesitantly took the offered hand outstretched for her to take.

"How exciting!" the dark-skinned siren exclaimed. "Now there's no need to fret—all that's required of you to do is to not let go of my hand until I do so myself."

Jeanette nodded her head, and the siren pulled her over, just before Jeanette managed to cast a timid smile over at Brittany.

Brittany pursed her lips, moving her gaze just in time to see Simon get pulled over as well. When she peered over at Alvin, who still stood beside her, she asked, feeling quite stupid after she had said it: "Are you going to go?"

"Yep. I'm waiting for you," he shrugged. "I'll only go when you go."

Brittany wanted to facepalm herself at that. Of course he would wait for her to go…did she not watch when Simon and Theodore had gone? Simon only went when Jeanette left and Theodore only went when he had Eleanor securely going with him because _that's who they were specifically watching over…_ Brittany clenched her teeth to help ease up how dumb she felt as she slowly approached the black-haired siren beside Calypso, whose hair was parted down the middle and had a very slight wave to it.

The black-haired siren, whose lips were a deep plum color, grinned. "Hello, Brittany," she greeted. "You may or may not recognize my appearance, but I believe you used to play with my twin sister, Kira…"

Brittany contorted her face as she stared into the violet-eyed siren. She briefly glanced over at Alvin, who was now conversing with Calypso, before she brought her unsure gaze back to the beautiful siren before her.

"You were just a little girl…." the siren reminisced with awe, pulling Brittany's full attention back on her. "You've grown absolutely beautifully… You may not remember my dear sister, Kira, which is fine. You were young. But since you two were acquaintances, and I heard absolutely darling things about you, I'd like to form a friendship with you like you did with her. My name is Janessa. Just ask for me whenever you come by this Excursion Mirror and the one it connects to, if I'm not the one who appears for you first, and I'll gladly be your personal escort, just like how Calypso is sort of for Alvin…except their situation is slightly different…"

Brittany furrowed her eyebrows, slowly nodding her head. She hardly caught much of what Janessa had said; she only got the basics of it. She was busy trying way too hard to jog her childhood memory back up—she wanted to believe in the back of her mind that she remembered the appearance of this siren from way back then because she was sure she remembered... But as she tried to bring the memories back, she found she now couldn't seem to recollect a single face of the sirens she had played with from her childhood…which…was odd. She could've sworn she remembered just a few moments ago, when she first met Calypso…

"Wait…so, does…Kira…" Brittany slowly began "…look exactly like you?"

Janessa outstretched her starlight white hand which had a pinkish gleam to it. "Yes…but never mind it if you don't remember…we all forget things. Just as long as we can be friends from here on out," she grinned kindly.

Brittany took the siren's silky soft hand, nodding her head with a contrite grin as she granted, "Of course."

Janessa's grin widened. "Are you ready?" she then asked.

Upon Brittany's consent, the siren then pulled the light auburn-haired girl over into the mirror-like water.

Immediately Brittany felt the pressure of the cool water hugging against her body. At first her eyes were squeezed shut, but eventually when she gave in to her curiosity of what it looked like under the surface of this peculiar pond, she slowly opened her eyes, finding it less painful than she thought it to be—it was like she could naturally see under water, for she felt nothing against her eyes.

What surrounded her, she found, was what appeared to be large boulders, each stacked up on one another other, reflecting an assortment of metallic colors. Small crystals seemed to be forming in clusters between a few of the creases between these large boulders, and it felt like she was going through a large tunnel. As Janessa pulled her further into the depths of the pond, eventually when it got to a point that the bottom of the pond should be arriving, that part never came, and what appeared to be the surface of the pond came into vision. When Brittany confusedly looked behind her, she found that behind her was now what appeared to be the bottom of the pond. It was like everything had just reversed on her without her knowing of it…

Janessa briefly glimpsed back at Brittany, grinning gratifyingly, before she brought the ice blue-eyed girl to the surface.

Brittany gasped for fresh air when she arrived at the surface, not having realized how badly she needed it until just now. As Janessa helped her onto the smooth rock surface, causing the splashing noises of water to sound off erratically, making Brittany feel extremely wet, the moment she had stabilized her full body onto the hard surface, she was surprised to feel she was completely dry. Patting her hair, attire, and face, she turned to look at the pond water, muddled. She wasn't a single bit wet. Brittany quickly glanced over to where her sisters were, just to make sure she wasn't going insane, only to find they were completely dry as well. Peering down at Janessa, the siren simply laughed melodiously.

"It's an Excursion Mirror—it's magical—it's not your typical body of water," Janessa stated.

"Right," Brittany muttered, taking a moment to glance around at her brand new surroundings. The sky was no longer gloomy, and her surrounding wasn't mossy and entirely green, crowded by dark trees that created a type of dome with their sparse branches. Everything seemed a lot more open and vibrant, since the sun was shining brightly from above, causing heavenly streaks to stream through from the leafy branches, giving the setting a warm, yellowy glow. The large, towering trees that surrounded them had thick, intricate, dark brown trunks, covered in tiny, boxy carvings that seemed to create a never-ending maze.

There was large and small bushes spread throughout the bases of these trees, and the light brown ground was sparsely covered in thin, long wood chips. Around the Excursion Mirror was a wall of boulders that formed an arching shape as they curved around the small pond, eventually becoming flat ground on both sides, where they connected into a kind of platform beneath Brittany's feet. Somewhere not too far off in the distance, the sound of rushing water could be heard…

"Where…where are we?" Brittany inquired, looking down at Janessa.

"You're in Aeon's Labyrinth," Janessa responded.

Suddenly, Alvin burst out of the smooth surface, and as he got himself up onto the firm platform with ease, he turned and waved to Calypso, who grinned, glancing to Brittany briefly before she quickly dove under the non-moving surface. Brittany pursed her lips, looking to Janessa when she heard the siren sigh.

"Well, it looks like you guys will be going now," Janessa notified. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Brittany. I'll be sure to tell my sister this. I hope we meet again soon," she smiled.

Brittany nodded her head with a small smile in return, suddenly feeling a warm hand touch her arm. When she turned, she found Alvin standing there. He was ready to go, and his brothers and her sisters were waiting on them to officially leave. Brittany sighed, saying a quick farewell to Janessa, before she moved to follow after Alvin, who had begun walking when she began heading in his direction.

When Brittany stole one last glance at the transportation pond, she was able to catch sight of Janessa's midnight violet tail wave to and fro as it sunk beneath the surface. She couldn't help but stand there, staring, trying to see if she could remember seeing that same color of tail from her distant memories…

"Brittany…" Alvin gently called out.

Brittany began to chew on her bottom lip, having heard Alvin's voice, but not quite paying attention to what he meant by calling out her name. She was a little stressed…

 _She didn't remember the colors of any of the tails she saw when she was younger._

Maybe she really never did have the appearances of these sirens memorized, and was all made up in her head…

"Brittany…"

Brittany twisted her face a little, still staring at the clear, mirror-like pond as she began to turn and head in Alvin's direction. When she turned her head straight forward, she abruptly halted in her walking and jumped back like a startled rabbit. Alvin was standing right there in her pathway, appearing concerned.

"Is something wrong?" he softly inquired, keeping his sky blue eyes intently on her.

"I…" Brittany trailed off, keeping her eyes away from his. She wasn't sure if this was something she should tell him or not. After all, it was normal for this kind of thing to happen, where you don't remember everything perfectly, when you thought you did… But her case wasn't exactly like that, now was it?

She exhaled deeply, slowly bringing her gaze up to meet Alvin's. She knew it would be more than unbelievable if she didn't respond to him while looking him in the eyes, and even though she _really_ didn't want to say this while they locked gazes, she just had to…

"I'm fine—just a bit weirded out by the…pond…" she shrugged, dropping her gaze after the white lie spilled past her lips. Part of it what she had said was true, for the Excursion Mirror really did weird her out…however, that wasn't the core of her distress. Her main problem was the fact that she couldn't seem to remember something she was so sure she once knew...

"Oh…" Alvin responded, clearly unsure about her answer to him. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" he added, to which Brittany slowly nodded her head, even though she was thinking otherwise. Alvin sighed, tousling his golden brown hair a little. "Alright," heaved out, seeming to give into a battle going on inside his head. "C'mon, then, we have a long way to go…" and with that said, he waited for her to walk ahead of him, before he followed right after.

As the two trekked their way to meet up with their siblings, the sounds of the rushing water began to get louder. Eventually the air became cooler and smelled fresher, and as Theodore at the front of the group pushed the crowded arms of green bushes out of his way, leaving an opening for everyone else to follow through without any blockages in their way, the scenery of large trees changed slightly.

What now presented itself before them was the source of the sounds of rushing water: a wide, bubbling river. Rocks of all kinds of sizes bulged out of the surface.

Jeanette, staring owlishly at her surrounding, began to step forward, coming fairly close to the edge of the streaming, clear water. But just before she was able to approach the edge, Simon abruptly called out, "Not too close, Jeanette," and he swiftly grabbed her wrist, pulling her back a few steps.

"Sorry," Jeanette apologized, dropping her gaze down to her shoes. "I was just…yeah…"

Simon nodded his head in an understanding way, releasing her wrist. "It's alright—you didn't know. Just, girls," he turned so the conversation was open to Eleanor and Brittany as well, "stay away from the water. This is River Infinyx, or another name people have a tendency to call it is the River of Bonds, and nothing good ever comes out of it—at least for those who touch it's surface, whether it's just a simple tap of your foot or a single prick of the finger. Stay as far away from the edge as you possibly can, for we're going to be following this river. It's basically our map out of here."

"You guys don't know any other way out of here?" Eleanor asked as they all began to follow Simon, who had now taken lead.

"Yes and no…" Simon hesitantly responded. "You see, this forest is called Aeon's Labyrinth, and it's called that because that's basically how this forest is: it's like trying to find your way out of a never-ending maze. It can take an aeon or more, to find your way out of this place. The only definite ways that will for sure lead you out of here in a short amount of time is either finding that one Excursion Mirror we just came out of, or by following this infamous river out of here…"

"Are there any dangerous things in this forest?" Eleanor inquired, readjusting her backpack as she scanned their surroundings, like she was readying herself for anything that could potentially pop out suddenly like a jack-in-the-box toy.

"Yes, there is one thing, but I wouldn't worry too much about it," Simon passively disregarded.

Upon hearing this, Brittany slowed down a little, waiting for Alvin to catch up beside her. The moment he did with a curious look on his face, she lowered her voice so that only he could hear and asked, "What is this…'thing,' he's talking about?"

Raising his eyebrows, Alvin sucked in a deep breath, exhaling out: "He's talking about a Grimar. It's a hazy, yellow ghost that resembles a human, except…let's just say it's not very cute." He then grinned dryly, and as a late response, the light auburn-haired girl beside him scrunched up her face in slight horror. She was done with creepy, ugly creatures…

Alvin chuckled, shaking his head a little.

"So, what's so scary about this… _Grimar_?" Brittany asked in a mocking way.

"If you look it in the eyes…" Alvin began, but Brittany cut him off.

"You'll die," she stated.

"Actually, it'll eternally chase after you and torture you until you die," Alvin corrected. "But you're close," he grinned, looking over at her.

"Of course," Brittany muttered, dropping her gaze and gazing down into the white, bubbling river that was now quite a few feet below them, rather than just about a couple. It probably was about thirteen feet in distance, now, she guessed.

For a little bit of time, after the subject of the Grimar had passed over and became forgotten about, Brittany's thoughts had wandered back to the sirens she had just met. This time, though, rather than thinking about how her memory had seemed to completely lose a piece of itself about the sirens from her childhood within a matter of seconds, and choosing to decide that it was probably no problem, and that she'd eventually remember things the way she used to, she was thinking about Calypso.

It was obvious that there was some sort of relationship between the beautiful siren and Alvin… Were they lovers at some point? Was there any physical connection they once shared? It certainly felt like that… The way Calypso talked to him definitely put Brittany on edge a little, and she really hated that. Plus, no one normally freely touches the opposite sex unless they want something from them or they like them… Brittany could understand that Calypso was a siren, and that maybe this sort of seductive behavior she was portraying to Alvin was normal, but when she considered the way Theodore and Simon were treated when they arrived, there was definitely no siren flirting with them…and they seemed to know Calypso, like Alvin did, as well….

Brittany began to chew on her bottom lip. _Ugh…why did this have to be so complicated?_ The ice blue-eyed girl couldn't help but let her gaze wander over to the masculine boy next door, whose face was straight and absent of any emotion.

She did consider asking him about Calypso, but she felt like he wouldn't give her a clear answer because he apparently didn't know how to do that anymore. Brittany couldn't help but heave out an irritated sigh at the remembrance of his evasive answers he had given her the last time she tried to ask for an answer from him… He just _had_ to be obnoxious that way…

Apparently she had sighed a little too loudly, for Alvin suddenly asked, "What?"

Brittany blinked, quickly averting her gaze to the river. "Nothing…" she hastily said, gritting her teeth afterwards, wondering whether or not it would be a good idea to turn and look at him. She knew he was staring at her…

But before any possible exchange of words could happen between the two, Simon's voice suddenly shouted: "Jeanette, look out!"

Just as Brittany snapped her gaze up to where her bespectacled sister should be, a little ways up ahead, her ice blue eyes managed to catch sight of the ground give way, just below her little sisters feet, taking the brown-haired girl with it. However, quickly at the speed of light, Simon's hand suddenly shot out and he barely managed to latch both of his hands onto one of Jeanette's frail wrists.

"Jeanette!" Eleanor yelped, quickly glancing over at Theodore before she rushed over to help aid Simon, who was slowly coming down to his knees to help stabilize his weight.

Immediately, Brittany's eyes widened as she barely processed what was currently happening. "Oh, my gosh!" she cried, running over to where her sister was now dangling off of the edge with the rushing water angrily thrashing about against the protruding rocks below her. It was strange to see how quickly the river beside them had suddenly become so threatening and harsh…

Without a sound, Alvin had suddenly surpassed Brittany and came to his brother's aid. Seeing this, Brittany slowed down a little, for it now seemed a little too crowded over there by the edge where Simon struggled a little to lift Jeanette up. As she anxiously bit her bottom lip, she moved a little towards the edge to get a better look at what was happening from the slight distance she still held, for she found it pointless to move in closer when Eleanor's and Theodore's bodies were blocking her vision, and the small pathway Alvin and Simon stood on was too small for her to squeeze in and get a view.

She could hear something begin to crumble beneath her, but due to the distracting feeling of butterflies arousing within her stomach, leading her to only focus on the dangerous situation Jeanette was now in, she paid no particular attention to it, quickly assuming it was some stragglers that didn't fall at first when the ground gave out from beneath Jeanette.

After a few anxious moments seemed to pass by, Brittany let out a heavy sigh when she saw Alvin and Simon easily lifting her emerald-eyed sister back onto land, each one of them latching onto one of her wrists. Smiling slightly, she took a step forward, and without a warning, the edge she stood on easily gave out from underneath her, and she fell to gravity's pull.

* * *

 **So, I get that mermaids and sirens are supposed to be the same thing, just different names (right? maybe? I'm not sure, actually...), however, for this story, just play along and see them as I have them portrayed in this magical world I've created, where they're different species. :)  
**

 **Okay, also, quick question! I've been debating about this, but I can't quite decide, _so_ what do you guys think about this: are you hoping for me to have an intimate intercourse between Alvin and Brittany at some distant future (it may be lamesauce on my part, but I can try)? Yay or nay?  
**

 **Thank you so much for taking the time to read! I hope you guys are enjoying it still!  
AND as always, thank you so very much for the reviews! :D**


	15. Chapter 15

The moment she felt the coolness of the water touch her, it sucked her in like a vacuum and she became immersed under the streaming river. There was a moment underneath the water where everything seemed still and peaceful, but as she arose to the surface, gasping for air, the thrashing waters pushing with rage and force proved the statement of how looks could be deceiving.

Brittany frantically moved her legs and arms to try and keep her head above the surface. It was excruciatingly hard for her to breathe, since the whipping water kept splashing against her face and inconveniently doing so whenever she had to inhale. In the back of her mind she tried to keep telling herself that everything would be alright and that someone would come save her—but these silent words were useless and went unheard, for the pound of her heart, heavy breathing, and thrashing waters drowned away every little bit of comfort she tried to give to herself. How could she focus on petty words anyway, especially when the reaction her body was having was far more noticeable and of her concern?

As the rushing waters carried Brittany along, continuously shoving her into several large boulders and pulling her beneath its surface whenever it had the chance to, her body quickly became numb to everything, leaving her with the only sensation of how cold the water felt. Each time she tried to anchor herself on a large boulder or try to swim over to the side so she could make an attempt at pulling herself out, it seemed like the water was making sure to keep her in its raging currents, for she couldn't ever seem to achieve any of what she was trying to do, no matter how big of an effort she made.

Panting with frustration and fear, Brittany took in a deep breath. Her body was so tired now….but she really didn't want to die drowning. How _awful_ that would be…

As she continued to force her body to fight against the currents, she suddenly began to cough, having inhaled another load of the clear water. Her backpack on her back was beginning to feel extremely heavy at this point, like she was holding a blue whale inside, and she wasn't sure how much longer she'd be able to stand it. Her back and shoulders were really feeling the weight and her body was already so exhausted…

With much contemplation over how much she needed her backpack, she finally let out a tired huff, and with weak arms, she made an attempt to slip her hefty backpack off. It took her some effort, but as she finally was able to wiggle her arms through the straps, the weight suddenly disappeared and her body felt relieved. Sadly, however, just as she was beginning to gain a sort of confidence that she'd be able to escape this dilemma, now that her body felt slightly better and had somehow gained a new energy, she felt like crumpling it all up like it were a piece of paper and tossing it angrily into some fire, for it all seemed pointless to have, considering what she was seemingly approaching up ahead…

Closing her eyes and trying to breathe, she reopened them and began to look desperately around. There just _had_ to be some sort of vine or rock or _something_ she could use to help stop herself in this streaming river, so she wouldn't have to drop off that oncoming waterfall… When she couldn't seem to find anything, however, her chest began to tighten and her eyes began to heat up. She stared despondently ahead at the edge where her view of this river's water dropped out of her vision. How far back were her sisters and the brothers? Was there any hope for their aid and rescue? This river had been pulling her along fairly fast this whole time—they probably were far behind, unaware of the issue she was beginning to approach….

How was she even going to survive this? Maybe this waterfall wasn't as threatening as she was imagining it to be, and it really was a small one…

Ugh—why did she have to step so foolishly close to the edge?! This wouldn't have ever happened if she hadn't have done so! Brittany's eyes suddenly began to blur up, and she squeezed her eyes shut, just as the raging waters forced her under its shallowing surface. Maybe drowning was the better option to die, rather than having her heart pierced out by the sharp rocks she was so sure awaited her at the bottom of this waterfall…

She knew she was stupid for stepping close to the edge…clearly, Simon's earlier caution, and the incident that nearly happened to Jeanette wasn't a good enough _warning_ … This was all her fault, and now she had to gamble her way through the consequences with her life.

Just as Brittany exhaled out all of the air from her lungs while under the surface of the icy water, she suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her torso, and she was brought back up to the surface. Gasping for air, she turned to see the owner of the arms, surprised—and not because it was Alvin, but because he was actually there with her. He had somehow managed to keep up with the racing river when she was so sure everyone was way beyond from where she was now. Whatever it was that he did, she couldn't have been more than happy and relieved to see his face.

"I need you to keep your head tucked into me and your legs straight when we go over the edge, alright?" Alvin instructed, causing Brittany's heart to just about stop.

"What?!" she shrieked. They were going over the _waterfall?_ And here she was hoping he had some ingenious plan to avoid that over all…

"It's okay—we're gonna be alright, okay? Just trust me," he added reassuringly. She could tell he was out of breath just like her, but he still seemed to have way more energy than she did, and he sounded confident. He was immortal after all, so he generally didn't have to worry about his own life, unlike she did...

Pursing her lips, Brittany nodded her head. "Okay…"

If there was ever a moment for her to put her trust on the line, it would be this very moment, and she trusted Alvin entirely now. She was basically placing her life in his hands, and even though she felt that she should be scared about doing so, she wasn't. He knew what he was doing, after all, and from everything that's happened, she knew he would never allow anything to happen to her as long as he had a say in it—which is why the moment they approached the river's drop-off, every bit of fear she had dispersed, and she did exactly what he asked her to do with no hesitation and tucked her head under his chin, wrapping her arms around his neck to help her stay secured like that.

Her senses quickly recognized how warm his neck was, which reminded her of his hands and fire powers briefly before she got distracted from it when their bodies slid off the edge. The sensation of the fall felt erratic. Brittany couldn't feel any water, other than the cool misty sprays of it against her bare arms and neck, she could feel the air whipping past them as it pulled her ponytail up, and for a moment, she considered opening her eyes, but before she had the chance to do so, she felt the breakage of water beneath her feet, and once again, she was swallowed up by the frigid water.

It wasn't long until she felt Alvin push them off in a direction, and the moment they arose back to the surface, with her choking for air, and him, of course, seeming perfectly (irritatingly) fine, she felt a soft surface brush against her back, and before she knew it, he had managed to wrench them both out of the pulling waters, and back onto the earth ground.

She immediately freed him of her clinging arms when she felt her whole body was fully on solid ground. Upon her release, Alvin rolled over beside her, taking in deep breaths, while she struggled to roll over to get on her side and choke up the remaining waters that had somehow managed to slip inside her throat. When she was done coughing up the water, and was slowly pushing herself up, beginning to feel the soreness in her throat, she peered exhaustedly over at the flowing river, just mere inches away. She couldn't help but wonder how far this river went…it was like it never ended.

"You're hurt," Alvin abruptly said, snapping her out of her trance.

"What?" Brittany blinked, flickering her eyes over to him. "'Hurt'?" she echoed, clueless as to what he was talking about. She wasn't hurt, she felt impeccably fine, she was—

Alvin had suddenly heaved himself up and was by her side, folding up the soaked material of her athletic-like tank top, which was no longer tucked into her pants, due to all of the movements done in the furiously streaming river.

"Hey—!" Brittany began to protest, but before she made an attempt to actually push him away, he had revealed beneath her now, halfway-folded up top a large laceration that started from her left side and stretched down to her lower stomach. Her hands fell limp from barely pushing against his chest, while her mouth fell agape, and she stared wide-eyed at her injury she hadn't even been aware of apparently this whole entire time.

She quickly assumed it was from one of the many times the river thrashed her into a large rock, for she could recall feeling a slight stinging after one of the many times, but it never occurred to her that she had actually gotten hurt… She probably was so distracted from the thrills and feeling of cool water against her body that her senses couldn't even alert her of her injury.

For some odd reason, as she inspected her injury, the gash didn't seem as horrible with the white, silvery substance (she still wasn't used to seeing as her own blood) beginning to seep out of her open wound, but when she tried to slightly move to get a better look at the cut, her sense of feeling seemed to wake up from its daze and she felt a searing of pain expand out from the outline of her injury. Gasping from the sudden sting, her body contracted a little, making the pain even worse. Brittany squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her teeth as her chest tightened and her eyes began to heat up.

She tried to hold in her weakness of the discomfort, but as the reality of the large cut began to settle within her, and she took another look at the gash, she became scared, and she knew there was no way she wasn't going to be able to pull off not shedding a few tears. It was really frustrating to her at how frail she had to be—she really didn't want to cry when she had an audience, even though it was just Alvin. But that was just it, though, wasn't it?

She really did trust Alvin…she trusted him entirely with her life. But just like everybody else, including her sisters, she didn't trust him with her tears. Yes, she still did have her moments way back when life was normal where she couldn't hold it back and cried in front of people, but there was a reason as to why she _ran_ away from them and shut herself out from the world, and stayed in her solitude until she could recompose herself and piece herself back together. You could catch a glimpse of her weakness, but you could never stare and watch it like it was a movie.

But now, she couldn't run away, due to her stupid injury, and mortifyingly, Alvin would get to see an episode of her pathetic, tearful state.

She wished she could just blackout and not have to worry about shedding any tears, but that clearly wasn't going to happen. She felt weak and tired, but not exhausted to the point of passing out, and she doubted she'd be able to lose enough blood to do so, now that Alvin would probably tend to her injury and treat it in some weird way… Ugh, why did her life so periodically have to become such a train wreck? She really didn't want him to see her like this…

As Brittany tried to breathe in and out, and relax her tightening chest, her efforts seemed to worsen everything, and turning her head the other direction away from Alvin, she felt a warm tear begin to leak out of her right eye. _No…stop…._ she ordered to her body inwardly. _One tear, but no more after that, please…_

Clearly, however, her body hated her, for another tear began to stream out of her right eye, quickly followed by another one from her left.

"I'm going to apply some pressure, and try to stop the bleeding with some leaves, but I won't be able to heal it until my brothers show up," Alvin informed her as he began to rip several, medium-sized leaves off from a nearby bush.

Brittany pursed her lips, nodding her head, not daring to speak. He didn't seem to notice she was crying, thankfully, or maybe he did and was being nice by not staring, but hopefully, if he wasn't aware of her emotional state, if she kept her broken voice out of use and acted with normal gestures, she would be able to keep him unaware.

Without a warning, Alvin had placed the leaves on top of Brittany's injury and applied pressure. She flinched, and before she could let out a noise, she bit down on her tongue hard, just about biting it off.

"It's okay, _relax,_ " Alvin soothed to her, most definitely feeling the tenseness of her muscles where his hands were pressing down on.

Brittany wanted to smack him for that statement, for how the heck did he expect her to relax with _his_ stupid hands applying pressure on her _wound_ , therefore causing more _pain?_ He didn't know what she was feeling and going through, so he really should just zip his dumb mouth and let her suffer, and let her eventually find some sort of peace through this pain at her own pace. _Sheesh_ … She really should slap him…not that that would do anything to inflict pain upon him…although, it would make her feel slightly better, and allow her to release some toxins.

"You know," Alvin began, as he stared down at where his hands were applying pressure, "there's a reason why people call River Infinyx the River of Bonds…"

"Of course," Brittany muttered, completely forgetting her rule to not speak until she had control over her tears, which were still streaming out of her eyes.

"Brittany, you need to understand this…" he sighed, clenching his jaw. "Infinyx is a river that never ends, hence its name's similarity to 'infinity,' and once you fall in, you generally shouldn't ever be able to escape the river. It keeps pulling you along, and you can never pull yourself out, no matter how hard of an effort you put into escaping its ongoing grasp. One fateful touch, and you immediately get sucked in. You're doomed to be carried by its flowing waters forever, and either you eventually die, or you eventually get saved by another who dives in after you, which is the only way you can ever get out of this river…

"You can only escape Infinyx if someone comes in after you to save you; however, Infinyx isn't a river you're meant to ever escape, so there's a catch—or what other beings like to call a 'curse'…which is what you need to understand…" Alvin lowly spoke, his voice becoming serious and tense. "The moment another being comes in to save you, choosing their own fate, aware or unaware of what will come to pass, the life they chose to save intertwines with their own…you're lives are bonded…"

"What?" Brittany weakly croaked out, readjusting where she sat on the ground, earning another surge of pain to expand out from her injury. Her chest compressed and more tears began to spill out of her eyes.

"Brittany, we're bonded together. I can feel everything you feel—every bit of physical pain, every strong emotion—our lives are linked together. So, if you were to die, then originally I would have to die, too, but because I'm immortal, I wouldn't die, and would have to continue living, feeling the emptiness that your life would leave behind within me. If I die, then you die as well, too. It's basically impossible to break this bond—the only way to do so is if the life saved returns the favor in a worthy situation, but beings who go through this rarely are able to achieve such a thing. Basically, you and I are stuck together, and probably will be for a very long time," he swiftly said with a smooth flow that had no breaks or pauses.

As Brittany soaked up his words, making sense of them, her mind began to bubble with forming thoughts. He couldn't be serious…yet when her ice blue eyes went to study his facial expression, there wasn't a hint of trickery in them. The more she continued to stare at his tense face, she then began to backtrack to the tone of his voice he had used to tell her this, and the more she thought about it all, her chest seemed to tighten even more, and she had to turn her face away from him once again as a new batch of heavy tears spilled out of her eyes.

She really wished she wasn't feeling so emotional, and a part of her didn't know why she felt this way, but the other part of her did. It almost sounded like he was mad, and not that she would blame him, for it probably would suck to have your life bonded with another for practically eternity…she most definitely wouldn't like it, even if it was with someone she loved because there was an invasion to your privacy, and feeling what the other did constantly could potentially cause problems. She still wasn't sure about how she felt about being bonded to him…but it sounded like he was upset about it—upset at the fact that it had to be _her…_ of all the beings in the world, it had to be _her._

And that…actually hurt. It really shouldn't have mattered this much to her, and she really wished it didn't, and maybe he didn't mean it in the way she was taking it and she was overthinking everything…but relentlessly, it did hurt her…it cut at her heart, which was pathetically far more painful than the actual laceration she had on her body. And that was the funny part about this…which she hated. This wasn't her…

If anything, she knew that originally she really wouldn't give a care in the world if the other person was dreading having their life bonded with hers, and she would most likely focus on herself…but for some odd reason, she couldn't seem to change her attention towards herself and only care about that…

Why did she care so much about how Alvin felt about this? Well, she already knew the answer to that…but she wasn't going to do anything about it. She was going to ignore it, and hope it never would get activated to the point to where it was out of her rein. As long as she had control over it and had a say about it, she didn't need to worry and could let it be itself, and eventually die off like a rose that wilts when it's not taken care of. Alvin was solely only here to protect her…and eventually when he and his brothers leave her and her sisters with this David Seville-person, she probably would never see him ever again.

Maybe he and his brothers would check up on her and her sisters every now and then, see how they're doing like old friends, but that would probably be it. Their job was protecting the world, not settling down and falling in love. And how serious they were about this was evident by the fact that they had lasted this long for the past hundreds of years, being as they currently were now, having no attachments keeping them in one general area. And who knows, maybe they did have a lover they visited annually…but that was too long of a time for separation.

Brittany would know this better than anyone, for "once upon a time," in her sweet, "princess" life, full of many promiscuous, abusive, twisted, physical, unneeded relationships (so fit for a princess, right?), she once had the unfortunate luck to come across a relationship where the boy went away for a year because of family business, and that didn't end in "happily ever after" like she thought it would… She did regretful things out of isolated desperation, and he became addicted to something she wasn't ready to give up to him.

In reality, she wasn't even sure if she actually experienced love. It always seemed like her relationship's purpose never served what it was meant to correctly, and that it only existed to satisfy lustful needs and help boost up a popular image; she was always bawling her eyes out so pathetically in the end after each relationship, which always ended in a fight…resulting in several of her dark secrets.

She was still pure, in the actual sense of never allowing things to get _too_ physical, for she still had her standards, but her lips were tainted. She hated everything about her past teenage years—it always reminded her of how foolish she was, and she was afraid she was still just as foolish. She never wanted to return to any of those dark times, and she never wanted to experience anything like it ever again. Overall, as a poor lesson she's learned, keeping her heart attached to something just isn't a good idea.

So, as long as there are no attachments connecting her heart to Alvin's when it's time for their final separation, then she knew there was nothing she would have to worry about. This was why she was so settled on the idea of not doing anything, and trying to ignore her attractions to him to death.

She was well aware of how different this was of her to react to someone she felt some sort of desirability to, but as mentioned, she had her reasons. And even if she truly did believe Alvin would be different compared to the rest, she still wasn't going to do anything about it.

Normally, yes, she would freely pursue what she wanted, regardless of the consequences, and she always got it…but for this situation, she felt like it would be different… She felt like this could be the one time she wouldn't get what she wanted, and she didn't want to have to experience that. To top off all of her stupid heartbreaks that still haunted her with the feeling of failure? No. That wasn't even an option. It was better off to be safe…

"Hey…" Alvin suddenly spoke up, causing Brittany to slam her thoughts shut like she had been reading it out of a book.

"Hm?" she responded, glancing over at him briefly before she pulled her gaze away from him, having remembered her tearful condition. If it was possible, she was probably dehydrating herself at this point.

"Everything is going to be alright…it's not that bad," he gently consoled, suddenly bringing his hand up and wiping away at a stray tear running down her left cheek.

Upon hearing the distant voices of his brothers and her sisters, Alvin silently got up and moved so he was kneeling down before her, where her head was still turned, intentionally away from him, and grinning a rare, delicate version of one of his trademark smiles he so often had presented on his face at her, he wiped away the tears and all of the remains left behind from them off of her face. He stood up, just before his brothers and Brittany's sisters made their entrance to the scene.

Blinking, Brittany trained her confused eyes down to the ground. She certainly wasn't expecting that…and she wasn't sure if his words were directed to her injury, or to the fact that their lives were now bonded…or maybe it was for himself. Her eyebrows knitted together when she remembered his words about what it meant to be bonded and finally applied it to herself in a realistic way. Their lives were connected…and they could feel each other's emotions and physical pain… Staring up at him with slight horror as he conversed with Simon, she couldn't help but wonder if that meant he could feel her emotions when she went a little bit down Memory Lane just barely…

How specific, exactly, could he tell apart her emotions? Ugh… She couldn't believe they were connected. She certainly couldn't tell if he was feeling anything or was in physical pain…it felt too surreal. Maybe they really weren't bonded…? Hopefully, if it was all true that he could now feel her physical pain and strong feelings, he figured her heavy emotions were because of her injury… Gosh—how the heck was she supposed to know whether or not his words were true?! She wanted solid _proof_ …

Alvin certainly wasn't showing if he felt the same physical pain she was in… He never flinched or showed signs of discomfort whenever _she_ did…. _But it was natural for him to be like that,_ a voice spoke in the back of her mind. _Plus, how do you suppose he knew about your injury before you did?_

"Brittany! Oh, my gosh!" Jeanette gasped, coming into view from behind Simon, rushing over to Brittany's side, quickly followed by Eleanor, who was exclaiming, "What happened?! Are you okay?" while she began to inspect what was beneath the leaves across Brittany's stomach.

"Girls, it's okay, I'm alright—it's just a cut— _ow!_ Eleanor!" Brittany shrieked, glaring at her youngest sister who had carelessly peeled off several leaves like they were stickers from her wound.

"You're bleeding!" Eleanor shot after she stared momentarily at the silvery, metallic substance sticking to the leaves she had so carelessly pulled off, probably not immediately recognizing that that's what their blood actually was supposed to look like.

"Brittany, I don't think that's just a cut…" Jeanette gently began, fear and concern clearly displayed across her normally sweet face. "You have a pretty bad wound right there…"

"Oh, my gosh—girls!" Brittany cried out in frustration, staring up at the clear sky. "Just—!" She exhaled deeply, not even wanting to bother to explain. Now she was _really_ wishing she had just passed out when the timing was right…

"Could I have you two move aside for just a little bit, so I can treat her wound?" Alvin's voice suddenly spoke up from overhead, much to Brittany's relief. Now her sisters probably will stop hounding on her about how awful this wound of hers is…

Eleanor craned her head so she could peer up at the sky blue-eyed boy, and nodding her head, she stood up, moving aside so he could take her place where he once originally used to be. As Alvin settled down beside Brittany by kneeling down on one knee, he then began to peel off a leaf, and upon Brittany's hissing of pain, he stopped, and after thinking for a moment, he told her that instead of drawling out the pain, he would make it quick and easy by stripping away each leaf like they were band-aids. More correctly, to Brittany, however, the moment he had removed each sticky leaf, it felt like he had pulled away several wax strips…

"'Wax strips'?" he inquired, once she mentioned it.

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Of course you wouldn't understand," she grumbled. "But since you and I are now _bonded,_ " she had exaggerated that last word, "you now know! _Lucky you!"_

Alvin merely snickered, shaking his head as he tossed the several sticky leaves, covered in her white blood, out towards the river, barely making them all in.

"Bonded?" Jeanette cut in, contorting her face a little. Her emerald green eyes peered over to Eleanor questioningly, before she brought her gaze back over to Brittany.

"You should have Simon explain it to you later," Alvin suggested, looking up when the said boy approached him. "He knows several beings that have gone through with this, and he's helped them cope with it, so he understands it better than I do," he absentmindedly stated, taking the three ruby red petals Simon had presented to him.

Brittany furrowed her eyebrows at his choice of words, thinking mainly about what he meant by "cope"…

Jeanette simply nodded her head, leaning in curiously at the sight of the vibrant red petals. "Those are the Amaryllis Phoenix petals, right?" she inquired, readjusting her glasses a little.

"Right," Simon nodded his head.

"Wait, what?" Eleanor chimed in, completely clueless. She wasn't there when this flower was first introduced.

Jeanette grinned gently, patting the space beside her. Eleanor sighed and went to take the spot on Brittany's other side, beside Jeanette, and while the intelligent emerald-eyed girl began to explain all that she knew and remembered about this magical flower, every now and then looking to Simon for reassurance, Alvin busied himself by placing each flower vertically, following the direction of the laceration, which was now beginning to slightly bleed out.

"Are you ready for another go at this?" he asked, looking up at Brittany, who pursed her lips and nodded her head.

"Just get it over and done with," she responded, clenching her teeth when she felt his warm hands press down on her wound. It stung a little, and for a while, it even felt a bit sore. But when the pain subsided and he pulled his hands away, her once torn skin was now completely healed and back together, appearing as flawless as it once used to be.

"Did you feel that?" Brittany quietly asked, peering over at him curiously. She still wasn't sure about how she, herself, felt about this "bonding" business.

Alvin lightly chuckled. "Are you going to ask that now whenever you get hurt?"

Brittany weakly shrugged, staring at him, still waiting for an answer.

Sighing heavily, Alvin nodded his head. "Yes—I felt every single bit of it. But don't go hurting yourself on purpose, just to get back at me, alright?" he joked, earning a slap on his arm.

Brittany shook her head, rolling her eyes over at Eleanor, who looked like she had just seen the dead come back to life. The light auburn-haired girl couldn't help but sigh heavily at her sister's response, tugging down on her slightly damp tank top. She paused afterwards to examine how bad the tear was on it, relieved to find that it was barely noticeable across her torso. But she still felt a little self-conscious about it.

"It doesn't look bad, does it?" she double-checked, glancing at her sisters, then to Alvin and his brothers.

Alvin shook his head with a small, judgmental smirk across his face. Reaching out his hand to her, which she took, he then responded, as he pulled her up, with: "It looks fine."

Brittany narrowed her eyes at this, but accepted it and decided not to take this any further. Theodore, in the meantime, had come over holding Alvin's backpack, and handing it to him, he stared curiously over at Brittany. "Hey, your backpack's gone…"

Blinking, Brittany, glanced over her shoulder, barely remembering now that she had discarded her poor precious backpack in the river in order to ease her back. "Oh, yeah," was all she could respond with for a moment. When she looked back to the forest-eyed boy, she shrugged. "I didn't really need it anyways…" she added, crying on the inside at the things she had lost within her backpack. Her favorite lipstick was even inside of it…not that she needed it anyways…but still. Oh, and not to mention her compact mirror…now how was she supposed to make sure she looked presentable? There was no way she was going to try and stare at her reflection in the river…it would probably have appeared distorted anyways.

"Alright, well, should we get going?" Simon spoke up, placing his hands on his hips.

Alvin nodded his head, slipping his backpack up on his shoulders while he stared up at the sky that reflected his iris' color. "Yeah," he sighed. "Let's go. We still have a few more hours before sunset." And glancing momentarily over at everyone else, who seemed to nod their heads in agreement, Simon then took lead once again, followed by Jeanette, then Eleanor and Theodore. Eventually Alvin followed after the line, once Brittany made a move to do so as well; she had momentarily paused, seeming caught up with her thoughts for a few seconds.

.

By the time the sun had almost set, leaving the sky in mixed colors of purples and deep blues, everyone in the group of six had agreed it was time to stop and settle down to rest. They didn't take long to get their resting spot set up, for they didn't have any plans to set up things such as tents, so the amount of time it took before each of them all fell asleep was short. But tonight wasn't a night where all of them would sleep peacefully…

In the middle of the night, Brittany jerked awake, feeling an immense amount of fear from her dream, and as always, she couldn't remember a single thing about what she dreamed. She knew it clearly must've been something truly awful, since her heart was pounding and she was sweating heavily. She was probably running from something. It surprised her to find that Alvin was awake as well, already by her side, asking her what was wrong. When she distractedly told him that it was nothing, she was remembering about how River Infinyx had bonded her soul to Alvin's, and that he must've felt her fear, resulting in his waking up. It definitely would take a while for her to catch onto this bonding they now had…

When Alvin asked her what she had dreamed about afterwards, and she told him she couldn't remember, he had given her a strange look, but he didn't bother her with any more questions. He had simply nodded his head and suggested they go back to sleep, which Brittany was hesitant to do so. She couldn't get the strangeness his face had shown to her out of her mind… Eventually, however, once she had concluded he probably thought she was lying to him about not remembering her dream, she finally fell back asleep.

As the sun rose the next morning, the group woke up early, and packing what little they had pulled out, they headed back off on their journey, following River Infinyx.

* * *

 **This chapter had a lot more feels than I had intended...but oh well.  
**

 **Thank you for your responses to my question! I was really surprised to see that the majority of you all basically responded. I totally thought not very many of you read my author notes and that I was basically talking to myself! ;P**

 **Thanks so much for reading!  
And THANK YOU for the reviews! You guys have been fabulous, and I'm so grateful and happy that you're still keeping up with this story!**

 **Hope you're all having a fantastic Fall Break if that's what you have! ;D  
**


	16. Chapter 16

It had been a few days now since the group of six had been traveling, following the streaming river on what felt like a boundless walk to get out of Aeon's Labyrinth. All three Miller sisters now understood how easy it could be to get lost in this plain, yet grandiose forest. More than once had each one of them already asked if they were walking in the right direction or not, or if this river was going round in circles, for the scenery seemed to repeat itself more than once. There was a specific large rock the Miller sisters felt like they had walked past at least ten times by now…but the three brothers had simply shook their heads and ushered the sisters forward, telling them to ignore it…which was incredibly hard for each of the sisters.

That was one of the key things you supposedly had to keep in mind in order to escape this forest: you had to dismiss and ignore everything, because the tricks the scenery would play with you would result in your downfall, if you were to ever give in to it and doubt the direction you thought you were going.

According to Simon, they had at least two more days until they would finally make it out of this hoodwinking forest, which didn't seem likely to either of the Miller sisters, but they went with it, for what did they know? The brothers claimed this was at least their hundredth time coming through this forest…but even that statement, too, seemed like it was a hoax, just like every noticeably large rock or tree they passed, that seemed like a decuplicate of the very first one they had passed, which looked exactly like it, was supposedly a different one.

The group hadn't come across a Grimar so far, and just like Simon had insisted for the girls to do, neither of the Miller sisters worried too much about encountering it, although they still had their guard up. The brothers had been keeping the girls a bit further away from the original trail, due to the mishap that had nearly happened to Jeanette, but then happened to Brittany, which has ultimately resulted in Alvin's shared fate with her for being bonded together.

This connecting-with-the-soul thing to Alvin was really complicated for Brittany to understand. She wasn't sure how it worked, for she never could feel anything Alvin ever felt, but he and his brothers insisted that it wasn't a one-way transit for feeling, despite her personal proof of it seeming to be that way…

Once, on the third day while they had been traveling along River Infinyx, Brittany had seen an extended bush branch cut against Alvin's arm, and the slight stinging slit she had expected to feel on her own arm didn't ever come to her senses. But then the moment she moves her hand to push aside what apparently was a thorny bushes' arm out of the way, later on the next day, Alvin's attention quickly snaps over to her and he's telling her to be careful while he's gently rubbing the palm of his right hand, which was the same hand she had pricked.

Whenever Brittany asked Alvin about how come she never felt what he felt, even though she knew she should be feeling lucky that she hadn't felt anything he had felt, he always just shrugged with a smirk and changed the subject. She couldn't tell if he was hiding any information about this bond that they had to share, but it seemed like she knew everything about it…

Brittany could tell that ever since she had been bonded with Alvin, he had been acting differently around her. He seemed to watch her every move—almost like he was a psychologist studying her behavior for some scientific experiment. He often had private sessions with his brothers whenever they took resting breaks…she still had yet to figure out what the heck they were talking about... They would always glance her way, and even Eleanor and Jeanette found this odd. Through the girls' own private sessions, they were able to come up with some pretty creative ideas as to why the boys were like this, and not all of them were quite positive to their favor.

Alvin was without a doubt acting suspicious, along with his brothers…and despite Eleanor's suggestions that the boys were planning something devious against the girls, Brittany just knew that this matter wasn't like that, and Jeanette didn't think it to be like that either. Brittany couldn't help but feel that this situation was more about her, than her sisters, and she had a fairly good idea of what it was actually about…

Lately, for the past few nights, she's been waking up from some pretty horrible nightmares. She was on a streak of waking up and feeling pure terror pumping her heart for these past few nights, and of course, due to this stupid bond Brittany now had with Alvin, he could feel every strong emotion she was feeling. He was always up long before she was, resting his forearms on his knees, while staring off into some distance in the dark early mornings, looking intimidatingly serious. He knew she was terrified of something whenever she woke up, and he knew it was from her dreams…but every time he asked for an explanation of what happened in her dream, she could never give him one, of course, because she just never could remember the images from her dreams…

He never would say much after her response to him, always muttering a low, sarcastic, "Right…" He obviously was bothered about this, though, even though he would never say much.

Brittany couldn't understand what his big concern about this even was, though, for it felt normal to her that she couldn't dream, and she had learned to accept things as they were. However, this next morning when she woke up completely horrified of who knows what, once again, and she told Alvin, who of course was already wide awake, for what felt like the billionth time that she honestly didn't remember of what she dreamed about, he reacted differently this time.

"Brittany, come with me," he ordered in a hushed voice while he heaved himself up to a stand. "We need to talk…"

"What? No, Alvin, I'm fine—it's fine…" Brittany retorted, running her hands through her let down light auburn hair, pulling out some knots. He was overreacting…

"Brittany, we need to talk," Alvin sternly repeated, still managing to keep his voice to a whisper, even though he was beginning to sound frustrated; Brittany couldn't feel any of his emotions, though.

When Brittany shook her head, Alvin sighed heavily, and without a warning, he bent down and scooped the stubborn, ice blue-eyed girl into his arms.

"Hey—!" Brittany partly shrieked, quickly remembering halfway through her protest that her sisters and his brothers were still asleep. " _Alvin_ …" she gritted, trying to keep her voice low, while pushing against his chest and squirming in his arms. " _Let me down!"_ she hissed furiously, glaring up at him.

" _Keep moving and I'll drop you_!" he hissed back, just as mad. He had his jaw clenched, and ironically, his grip on her slightly tightened. Brittany continued to struggle and fight against his hold, even though she knew it was hopeless.

"The least you could do is let me walk for myself," she grumbled, but he went on as if he had never heard her words.

The moment Alvin finally set her down back onto the ground, now that they were quite a distances away from each other's siblings, Brittany fixed her composure, and standing face to face with him, she demanded, "What is your problem?!"

Alvin stared harshly back at her with hard sky blue eyes. "Why aren't you telling me what you're dreaming about? Is it that hard?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"What?—no! Haven't you been listening to me?" Brittany scoffed. " _I. Don't. DREAM…"_ she slowly stated, glowering crudely at him while, too, folding her arms across her chest. How many times did she have to repeat this to him?! Why didn't he believe her?—or more correctly, why wasn't he choosing to believe her? What was his problem? So what if she didn't dream…she could live without it! He was doing somewhat fine the past few nights, accepting her condition—so why now?—why was he freaking out now?

" _Brittany,_ " he firmly began, exhaling deeply, like he was letting out some steam. " _Please,_ " he pressed, his voice now softer, revealing his sincerity. "Just _tell me_ …I don't care if it's something bad about me or my brothers, or whatever— _please…_ " he begged, running a hand through his tousled hair.

Brittany stared at him with a contorted, concerned face, and the longer his desperate eyes bored into hers, she couldn't seem to hold her firm ground anymore. "Look, _I told you_!" she cried, her voice sounding off as more of a whine than she had intended for it to sound. "I don't dream!" she stated once again, flailing her arms up helplessly. "I don't know what else you want me to say…is it that bad that I can't dream? Why can't you just accept that? I've been telling you for the past few days!—I just don't remember what I dream about…"

For some odd reason, she could feel her eyes beginning to heat up. Why was she beginning to cry over this? No…she wasn't going to cry! This was ridiculous… Why was she getting so emotional all the time now? She's already cried way too much this month…

"Look, I'm sorry if you can feel everything I feel in my dreams," she continued, now remembering about their bonding connection. She hadn't even considered that her emotions were disrupting him as well in his sleep, just like it was for her…all she had known was that he was aware of her traumatic emotions. "I wish I could tell you what I'm dreaming—having nightmares—about… Maybe you'd be able to help me out so you can at least sleep peacefully…" She stared at him vulnerably, lightly shaking her head. "But I can't…"

Alvin stared at her distressed state for a moment, showing the slightest bit of worry that was beginning to swirl in his eyes like a hurricane. "I'm not upset about that…" he sighed, dropping his gaze. "Brittany, when I came in after you once Infinyx took you in, I made the decision myself, knowing exactly what I was getting myself into, to save you...meaning, I chose to accept everything that comes with this bond to you. I chose to accept feeling every bit of pain you would go through, and every bit of fear you may feel, and every single emotion you would have…"

He lightly shook his head. "I don't care that your nightmares are bothering me at night, making it so I don't get sleep—I knew this sort of thing would probably happen. If anything, it's my own fault for getting myself into this, and taking you along for the ride. Brittany, generally those who know about Infinyx are willing to leave those who fall into the river for death, or worse, an eternal rush of loneliness—even if it's someone they love…" His sky blue eyes hardened after he spoke those last few words. "So there's nothing I expect you to be sorry about. I made my choice—and I chose to save you. Brittany, I'm just here to help you...

"And I'm sorry if I have caused you any distress, which I know I have," he sadly grinned, dropping his eyes down to his hands. He was rubbing his thumbs over the palms of his hands, which were wrapped in the black, dragon skin strips; he rarely ever took those off, even though it didn't matter if he wore it or not for now, for he wasn't around alien beings, and they were far from any kind of civilization.

Brittany's urge to cry for some odd reason became even stronger, but she did everything in her power to keep herself from shedding a single tear in front of him. She didn't need to show him how weak she was again…and he didn't need to see it again. He probably already thought differently of her because of it, and she didn't need his thoughts of her to turn negative, even though he had practically just said that he was accepting all of this, and that it was purely his own choice, and that if he ever were to have any pessimism about this, it would be towards himself…

"All I ask right now, is that you just answer honestly to everything I'm about to ask you, alright?" Alvin gently asked.

Hearing this caused Brittany's frustration and irritation to contract quickly back to her. "I've been telling you the truth this whole time!" she snapped.

Alvin chuckled lightly, murmuring and unheard, "I know…" He exhaled deeply, and lifting his gaze to lock eyes with hers, he gently questioned, "When was the last time you remembered what you dreamed about?"

Brittany shrugged her shoulders, closing her eyes as she pressed a hand against her forehead and answered with: "I—I don't know—it was before my sisters and I moved, and I was seven or something of the sort…so, twelve-ish years ago?"

"Twelve years?" Alvin repeated, the gentle tone to his voice quickly hardening. He tightened his jaw while he clenched his hands into fists. Brittany now could feel his eyes piercing intensely through her like a dagger; it made the hairs on the back of her neck slightly rise with discomfort.

"Yes," she confirmed, dropping her hand from her forehead and heaving out a sigh. She looked up at the changing marine blue sky. The sun was now beginning to barely rise, dispersing its warm colors out into the fading blue, meaning, her sisters and his brothers were probably going to wake up soon… Maybe she could use them as an excuse, for she now didn't feel like talking at all anymore. She wanted some space from Alvin—she wanted to be able to think things over. She wanted to think _everything_ over.

"Brittany, is there anything you feel that you thought you remembered, but no longer can?" he asked, severely serious now.

Brittany opened her mouth, about ready to tell him off, but clamped it shut, for his question had caught her off guard. She wasn't expecting it, and it wasn't something she could simply just say no to like she had expected to be able to respond to in some negative way... Blinking, she fixed her ice blue eyes on him with furrowed brows. "Something that I thought I remembered, but no longer can…?" she echoed, dropping her gaze down to the ground. Immediately her desires for having time alone to herself at the moment disseminated. That was a funny question…because there _was_ something she thought she remembered, but had seemingly forgotten about….and it was just recently that this happened. Alvin was even there…

"To be more specific, I'm asking mainly if there's something from your childhood," Alvin then added, causing Brittany to snap her gaze back up to him.

How did he know…?

"Brittany…?" Alvin firmly, yet gently pressed, growing somewhat visibly impatient with her through his stern facial expression.

"Yes…" Brittany slowly nodded her head.

She couldn't remember the faces of the sirens from her childhood, when she knew she once used to.

A trigger seemed to get pulled in Alvin's mind, for almost instantly after her response, he grabbed her wrist and began leading their way back to their resting area quite swiftly. "Is there more than one memory like this? Or is this just the one?" he fervently asked, pulling Brittany's attention away from his tight grip on her wrist.

"Um"—Brittany contorted her face as she thought about it—"no, there's just one…" She fixed her now concerned eyes over at him. "Alvin, what's wrong?" she worriedly asked. "Is it that bad?" If he was this concerned, then that probably meant it was pretty bad… Was it because she couldn't dream, or what? Was it that abnormal? What was wrong with her? She's always felt pretty normal, despite her inability to remember anything she ever dreamed about, only feeling the emotions…

Alvin glimpsed over at her momentarily before he fixed his gaze at their nearing resting area, which was now visible in sight, and fairly close for their arrival to happen within a few more steps.

"Alvin—?!" Brittany urgently persisted, wanting to know what was going on, but before she could say any more after his name, he had cut through her oncoming words.

"Simon," Alvin called out, causing the already awake bespectacled boy to turn around from rummaging through his backpack and face them while he came to a stannd. Quickly, upon reading the invisible words written across Alvin's face, Simon nodded his head and proceeded to waking up Brittany's sisters, while Alvin finally released Brittany's wrist and moved to wake up Theodore.

"I couldn't find any herbs or charms that would help lighten her situation," Simon briskly stated over to Alvin as he gently woke Jeanette up with a single touch.

"I don't even know if those would've helped anyways," Alvin muttered as he shook Theodore awake vigorously. It wasn't as noticeable earlier, but he was clearly stressing bigtime over this apparent problem, which Brittany was still clueless about.

Simon paused in his movements, handing Jeanette her violet-rimmed glasses. "It's that bad already?" he asked, peering over at Alvin.

"She hasn't been able to remember a single dream for twelve years, Si, and it's been long enough now that it's beginning to find the source to her actual memories," Alvin grimly muttered, beginning to fold the thin blankets up beneath Theodore briskly, and shoving it roughly into a nearby backpack.

"That long?" Simon raised his eyebrows, appearing quite alarmed. "We have to hurry then…" He quickly moved over to Eleanor, and gently began to shake her awake. "We'll now for sure have to stop by Willow Shadow Market…that's our best bet for now…hopefully they'll have some lemon verbena or something of the sort to help her with this problem…"

"We're probably going to need something much stronger than that…" Alvin muttered under his breath. "Maybe something like Jasmine Hex…but it may be too late by then…"

While the two brothers continued their riddled messages to one another, Brittany simply stood in the midst, trying to make sense of what they were saying. Clearly, her inability to remember what she was dreaming was bad…and there seemed to be a reason as to why this was happening to her…and from what she could piece together, it wasn't good…but what exactly was the problem making this happen?

"Wait, so what's wrong with me?" Brittany tried to ask once again. She didn't feel afraid about this…although she couldn't help but feel she should.

"You have a pesky little parasite-type of ghost living inside your mind called a Dreameater," Alvin huffed through gritted teeth, seeming quite annoyed...or maybe he was upset? "And now it's beginning to access your actual memories, and it's beginning to eat those up, too…"

"Wait-what?!" Brittany frowned. "I…I don't understand…"

"Well, we don't know if it's actually accessed your memories," Alvin mumbled attentively. "Yet," he then added, thrusting his own backpack up onto his shoulders.

Brittany contorted her face at him. "My memories?" she asked, hoping he'd take the hint to elaborate a little more clearly to her.

"Here, let me explain," Simon cut in, coming to a stand and approaching her. "You have the inability to remember your dreams, correct?" he questioned, which Brittany nodded her head. "And all you're left with are the emotions from your dreams?" he added, which she once again, nodded her head.

Simon sighed deeply, glancing briefly over at Alvin first, before he focused his ocean blue eyes back on Brittany. "Brittany, it's not normal for someone to dream, and not remember a single thing from it, other than the emotions. And it's not normal for this to be going on for more than a few days," he began to explain. "You see, what you have isn't necessarily common to have—more, it's slightly more than being uncommon. You have exactly what Alvin has told you you have: you have a type of parasitic ghost, called, a Dreameater…"

Brittany's eyebrows knitted together as she eyed the bespectacled boy in front of her, listening intently to each word he let slip out of his mouth. "So," she slowly began, "there's a…ghost…eating my dreams?" She now expressed a horrified expression on her face. She wasn't sure if she was angrier that a ghost was stealing her dreams from her, or that it was something using her as a host to live off of…assuming that when they had said this was a parasitic ghost, they meant that it lived off of a host. At least she now knew she wasn't simply just an unfortunate soul that had some disability to be able to dream properly…

"Yes…" Simon nodded his head, pursing his lips.

"Okay," Brittany calmly breathed. "So, how would I get rid of it?"

"That's the problem…" Simon began to rub the back of his neck. "You see, depending on how well a Dreameater has learned to be with you, which usually is decided by how long it's been with you, debates on how strong of a procedure you must take…and you see…" He sighed, mumbling a small complaint of how he was supposed to explain this. After a moment, Simon finally restarted with: "Let me just quickly explain to you the overall information about getting rid of Dreameaters…

"You see, Dreameaters are undetectable, most of the time, and the only way you can tell if you have one or not is if you know the symptoms of it, which are exactly what you've been going through these past twelve years. And depending on how quickly you are able to figure out that you have this particular parasitic ghost living in your mind, will normally debate what kind of treatments you must take to, in order to get rid of this parasitic ghost. Oftentimes, you can get rid of a Dreameater within at most a week or two, as long as the Dreameater hasn't become advanced and still remains eating your dreams whenever you sleep."

"What do you mean by 'advanced'?" Brittany had to ask. Her eyes briefly flickered over to where she could see her sisters standing slightly a ways away from where she stood, with Theodore and Alvin talking to them. She couldn't help but wonder what the two brothers were telling her sisters, for both Eleanor and Jeanette seemed slightly disturbed and worried…but her mind got quickly pulled away from the thought once Simon began to speak up.

"Now hold on—I'm getting to that—Dreameaters solely live off of what you dream, for that's the easiest thing for them to gain access to… However, these ghosts often easily become very greedy, and after a while, once one of these Dreameaters have been with you for some time, their craving for food becomes heightened, and they begin to search your mind for something a little more, so they don't just have your dreams to eat off of… Now, these ghosts aren't very smart, unless it's experienced. So, the mind is like an arduous maze to most Dreameaters, and it generally takes quite a bit of time for a Dreameater to be able to access something far more desirable for it to eat, other than your dreams…

"But once it's inhabited your mind for some time, it eventually is able to make progress through your maze-of-a-mind, and find a trove of treasures unlike any other—which it devours ruthlessly…and this treasure it finds is a treasure that most beings would like to keep…but may possibly—not always—will lose forever, and it may even result in your death…and it's your memories…"

"Wait, what?" Brittany gaped. "They eat your memories, too?!" She quickly linked what she had just heard to Alvin's question about her not being able to remember something she swore she could've remembered, and to the fact that she no longer could remember something from her childhood…. "Oh, my gosh…" She was beginning to slightly panic. There were certain memories she didn't want to forget…what if this Dreameater she apparently had living in her mind was going to eat those too? Was that even possible? Oh, she hoped not…

"You don't mean that…" Brittany began, but couldn't seem to bring herself to finish as she looked into Simon's honest, concerned eyes. Her heart was beginning to pound erratically fast. She quickly tried to remember something from her childhood, before the event with the sirens—anything—but as she pushed her mind to pull out an old memory like she was trying to look back on an old recorded video, she found everything was hazy and unclear, and that she couldn't remember anything… How did she not realize this sooner? This wasn't happening to her…

"Yes, Brittany," Simon gravely confirmed. "From here, you only have a limited amount of time before this Dreameater of yours catches up to your most recent memories…"

"And we're going to make sure that doesn't happen, so don't worry," Alvin abruptly cut in, now standing beside Simon. "I explained the gist of it all to Eleanor and Jeanette. So you don't have to try and explain anything to them," he informed, nodding over to Brittany, whose heart was beginning to slowly sink down to the pit of her stomach. She wasn't sure what to think of any of it…all she knew was that she was going to start going through a phase of amnesia, and that's all she could think about.

She didn't want to forget anything…and she was beginning to feel slightly hopeless now that she had already lost more than she had realized within these past few days…

"We should get going," Simon suddenly began. "We don't know how fast her Dreameater is moving, and it's better to be safe than sorry…" and glimpsing over at Alvin, he nodded his head and turned around, heading over to where Theodore and Brittany's younger sisters stood, looking like they had just received bad news from a doctor that no one would ever like to hear about someone they loved…

Brittany didn't feel like moving. All she wanted to do was crawl up onto her bed, back in her bedroom at the apartment she once lived in, and lay there by herself, and listen to her thoughts in the silence…

She had hardly realized it, but Alvin had seemed to step aside for her sisters to come comfort her in the little ways they knew how to, and without knowing it, she found her legs carrying her dead weight to follow beside her sisters, as they followed after Simon, who took lead; Theodore and Alvin trailed behind at the very back. Brittany tried to listen and pay attention to what her sisters were saying, and she tried to interact with them like she normally would…but she just couldn't at the moment. She was far too busy worrying about what she could be possibly losing that very moment…

And for a while, that's how she remained.

* * *

 **Near the end, I didn't really go over it...so if you are confused, or if I need to do some clarifying, please tell me, and I'll go back and fix the chapter a little, and I will gladly try and explain to you the best I can to clarify anything that may not make sense all the way.  
**

 **And I apologize for the late update! Sorry! It's just, when I originally began the first part of this chapter, I decided I'd save it for later...like, way later...because I just had the most brilliant beyond brilliant idea for a sequal...and I may or may not be seriously considering to do one...and now I feel like I have to turn this into some trilogy because a sequal doesn't seem to serve justice for me... It's bad, guys. Ew...I can't even...**

 **ANYWAYS... ;P**

 **Thanks so so so so so so so much for reading! :)  
AND THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS! I can't even believe I have over 100 reviews now! I couldn't have done it without you guys, and once again, thank you! You guys have been more than awesome, and I sincerely appreciate all of you darlings! :D**


	17. Chapter 17

It was finally the last day—the day Simon had estimated the group of six would all finally make it out of this dreadfully repetitive forest. Now that it had been quite a few days of seeing nothing but the same, mind-turning sceneries, with nothing changing other than the constant flowing water from River Infinyx, which often motioned a fateful beckoning for someone to come in and play, each time it's pure waters smashed into a large protruding piece of nature, the Miller sisters had grown quite bored and tired from what the limited scenery they had to deal with presented. The days felt longer, and it seemed like the sun would never set.

Unlike her sisters, Brittany wasn't as stricken with boredom from the sights around them, for her thoughts often blocked her vision from ever truly having her full attention, therefore making it so she hardly saw what was clearly visible before her in full depth. She had been spending all of her time, thinking about the past. She didn't want to believe she was forgetting things, and she didn't want to believe there was such thing as a Dreameater…but there was proof she was constantly dealing with, and the fact that it was directly inside of her mind wasn't helping her one bit with her process of trying to lighten her situation.

She couldn't believe what was happening to her. Some crazy ghost was actually eating away at her memories…it constantly ate at her dreams…and there was the possibility that it would never give her these memories back.

As the light auburn-haired girl continued to trudge behind her two sisters, who had indulged themselves into their usual conversations they often got caught up in with the two brothers who seemed to get along with them so perfectly, like they were the key that fit their locks on the door to their true selves, she sighed and crossed her arms tightly. Unlike Simon and Theodore, who were chatting away with their respective counterparts, Alvin was silently following closely behind Brittany, keeping the distance he knew she desired…although, did she really actually want this space he was giving her?

Brittany didn't want to go any deeper than she already was with the knowledge of what was currently happening to her…although, she hated having to keep all of her thoughts and complaints to herself. She needed to vent to someone about her problems…but she also didn't want to do that because she was afraid that saying her problems aloud would make them permanently true. But they were already true, weren't they? She had her proof…and it was directly inside of her...

What she needed was a distraction to get her mind off of what was happening to her. She at first didn't want to have that—to have any distractions—but now that she's been alone with her thoughts for a little over 24 hours, she was beginning to find that she was tricking herself into thinking she had forgotten more than she factually has (or at least she hoped that), and it was becoming very suffocating. She needed to let her mind breathe and think about something else, or at least spill everything out… She needed a way to filter her mind, so it wasn't drowning in all of her worries and fears.

The last time Alvin had spoken to her was this morning. He had asked if she was doing alright, and she had given him a simple nod….oh, how she wished she had allowed herself to open up a little more. He had given her a chance to do so, for he had waited silently...patiently, for her to elaborate herself a little more to him, but she dismissed that opportunity, waving it off like it were a majestic morpho butterfly landing on her hand. She had that chance, and she could've caught it…but of course, no. She let that chance fly out of her reach, and now here she was, regretting it more than ever that she had realized that opportunity was just in her grasp a few hours ago and was too wound up with herself to even realize the potential of it all.

She _could,_ of course start up a conversation with Alvin now, but she frankly just couldn't bring herself to do the simple act of turning around and smiling welcomingly at him, and say, "Hey, I want to talk to you…"

Sighing heavily, Brittany fixed her gaze over in the direction of the river that had bonded her to Alvin. At the moment, she couldn't see the white, streaming water, for several bushes were blocking her view now, but the vividness of it still remained in her eyes, despite her lack of actual vision for it. She couldn't help but wonder if Alvin would be affected by this Dreameater too, since their souls were basically now one, or at least they roomed together in the same spaces…. She pursed her lips, slowly bringing her gaze straight in front of her. _What if…?_

The sound of a branch _snap!_ jerked Brittany out of her thoughts, and quickly glancing over to her left, she found Alvin matching his pace with hers. She quickly averted her ice blue eyes away from him, slightly glimpsing over at him briefly one last time before she forced her eyes to go look at Eleanor conversing with Theodore.

She could hear him suck in a deep breath, preparing her that he was going to talk to her. At least she hoped that meant he was going to talk to her soon, for why else would he match his pace with her? He certainly wasn't going to march ahead of her to talk to Simon or Theodore-at least she hoped him matching speed with her wasn't just a momentary linger for her to feel an essence of regret with... Maybe she should just start talking to him now—what if he really wasn't here to talk to her and he was here to talk to one of his brothers? Oh!—maybe she could catch his attention on his way back from talking to one of his brothers and—

"Relax," Alvin suddenly murmured, cutting her continuous thread of thoughts.

Brittany blinked, exhaling deeply. She slowly brought her gaze over at him, finding him staring straight ahead.

"You're stressing—don't," he added, keeping his voice gentle, yet firm. "Everything will be alright—hopefully by tonight, or at least tomorrow night, we'll have arrived at Willow Shadow Market. There, we'll most likely be able to find something to kill off this parasite, or at least get rid of it."

Brittany nodded her head, feeling slightly comforted by his words. He seemed to be calm about this—a lot calmer than he was yesterday, and he wouldn't know it, but that gave her hope. Not that this parasitic ghost would be the end of her life, at least it didn't seem like it would be from the information she had received about these Dreameaters, but it was reassuring to know that really soon, she would be free from this unknown host who had made itself at home in her mind. And that's when a question occurred within her mind…

"Alvin…" Brittany slowly began, thinking over the question she was just about to ask him. "How do you suppose I got this stupid parasitic ghost?' she asked, a lot more bitterly than she had intended to sound.

Alvin finally pulled his sky blue eyes over to her, giving her a careful look, like he was studying her facial expression. "Calypso mentioned you and your sisters having visited the Excursion Mirror in the Halcyon Region," he stated, like he was speaking his thoughts in a wondering way. "That Excursion Mirror takes you to the center of Bridal Veil Woods, and like all places, there's a reason for the name and an origin of it. Have you been through that Excursion Mirror?" he abruptly queried, locking his eyes with Brittany's.

"Um, yes…" she hesitantly said. She may have forgotten the faces of those sirens, but she certainly didn't forget the memories of visiting that beautiful area overall. Numerous of times, has she unknowingly transported herself back and forth between two different areas, and the reason she didn't notice this was because they were equally beautiful and stunning, and they appeared similar to one another.

"Then that's probably it," Alvin sighed, almost agitatedly. "Bridal Veil Woods, like several areas, has a story as to why its name came to be the name it's known by. Basically, this area you constantly must've visited, I assume, was originally seen as a horrifying thicket of trees, known for all of its badness that it causes to those that walk inside of it. The chances of you coming back perfectly normal and fine are very unlikely, and that idea still lingers around that specific area. As the story goes: one fated night, a soon-to-be bride runs inside this forest, running away from someone after her to harm her—beings often swear it's her groom, but no one knows for sure.

"That night, it's said that she was murdered there, and because of her death, her beauty and connection to nature flooded over the hideous dark area, creating a mask that would hide all things ugly within it and a part of it, and make it appear beautiful, just like she was. This bride was a nymph, which you may or may not know as a beautiful maiden with strong connections to nature—so in that sense, you can understand why her death would have such an effect on a hideous forest like that. Only those who have witnessed, experienced, or done something so awfully ugly like the forest itself, and the act that was committed within it the forest, can see the true form of this deranged woodland."

Brittany could only stare and gawk at Alvin as a final result once he finished his brief story, causing him to lightly chuckle, before he cleared his throat and returned to a more serious poise.

"Bridal Veil Woods is one of the areas Dreameaters inhabit themselves in, and to the eye which is deceived by the fake beauty witnessing a Dreameater settling itself down in a host will only see a pale yellow butterfly, landing on someone's head, and slowly fading away as it sinks within the roots of this being's head hair," he explained. "You may or may not have seen this particular butterfly approach you… But the sirens know this…so I don't know why they'd let a little girl, such as yourself, go through this Excursion Mirror…" he then muttered with much irritation sticking to his voice.

"Oh," was all Brittany could mutter out as she tried to remember if she ever saw a pale yellow butterfly at some point way back then. She saw many butterflies...and now that she thought about it, she wasn't even sure if they were actually butterflies. They didn't have the same body as the winged insect did…

"If there's anything else you can't seem to remember, but are sure you once did, you have to tell me," Alvin suddenly said, giving her a demanding look.

Brittany narrowed her eyes over at him in confusion, but she slowly nodded her head. "And this is just to know how severe my case is, right?" she asked, bringing her gaze forward once she heard the soft laughter of Jeanette coming from up ahead. She curiously gazed over at Simon to see if he was doing anything stupidly goofy, but he just had a slight smirk and a composed posture. It was strange… Somehow, his smile sort of resembled Alvin's…but they weren't blood related, according to their past lives, before they became these Keepers of Peace or whatever they were known as… How queer.

"Yes," Alvin nodded, seeming to have his gaze at the same destination hers was at.

"Alvin, I have to ask you…" Brittany curiously began, unsure whether or not this was the only reason he needed to know. Not that she doubted his words or anything; she was just interested to detect: "This Dreameater doesn't affect you, too, does it?"

It made sense in her head if it didn't…but it also made sense if it did. He's been living for so long—there had to be so many memories he kept locked up in his head, and somewhere in there, there had to be something he wouldn't want to forget—such as his life before becoming this guardian he now was… It'd be hard to keep track of all of those memories and truly know whether or not you forgot something. So in that sense, it was probable for him to want to know whether or not she had forgotten something, just so he would know if he was forgetting something, too.

In response, however, Alvin simply shook his head. "This connection isn't the type where we necessarily have access to each other's thoughts. I can't read your mind, and you can't mine. If we could, then there is the possibility for this Dreameater of yours to have access to my memories and thoughts as well…but that's unlikely," he informed while moving a small branch covered in small green leaves out of his way.

"However," he continued, "there is a possibility for telepathy between us…" He glanced over at Brittany briefly, grinning wryly. "If our connection was strong enough, I'd be able to send you mind-messages, and you could back to me. But that's a rare case to happen. Normally beings that get caught up in our situation fall apart, rather than become closer."

"What, do they get sick of each other?" Brittany sarcastically commented, rolling her ice blue eyes, suddenly pausing and fixing them up to the sky, having caught its different hues it now presented, compared from earlier today. The light blue was now fading to a soft blend of purples, pinks, and oranges.

 _Huh,_ she snickered inwardly. _Now_ time was finally passing by. She hoped that tonight would be the last night they would have to journey through this forest. Despite it having been quite safe throughout their whole trip so far, excluding the incident with River Infinyx, Brittany kind of wished something exciting would happen. Maybe not so much towards the thriller department, but something new that she could discover about this world she apparently belonged to.

Alvin chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck slowly. "Yeah, I guess you could put it that way," he grinned thoughtfully. "Beings under this bonding do tend to get 'sick' of one another… Lucky me, though, I can easily kill you and I wouldn't die…"

Brittany quickly snapped her eyes over at the now smirking boy, gawking at him in disbelief. "Excuse me?"

"I wouldn't have to feel anything you felt," he continued, "and—ow!" Alvin's hand shot up to massage his chest where Brittany had forcefully jammed her fist into it like it was a punching bag.

Brittany narrowed her glaring eyes at him, muttering, "Liar…that probably felt like nothing…" while she massaged her own right hand she had purposefully used as a weapon. She actually tried to put a lot of effort into harming Alvin—and now look at where it got her? She harmed herself… She just knew her attack on him probably felt like a marshmallow had been thrown at him—it was pointless, and she knew it…but she just wanted to hit him. Too bad she wasn't blessed with super strength….

"You're right," Alvin mused, smugly grinning over at her, making Brittany want to punch him again, but she held herself back. Her hand was now beginning to feel excruciatingly sore. "But it's what you would've wanted to hear, right?" he taunted, causing her to grit her teeth and roll her eyes away from looking at him.

"Yeah," she grumbled admittedly. "But that still doesn't make me feel any better," she huffed, crossing her arms bitterly. "That's so not fair on _my_ part because you can't _die,_ so what the heck am _I_ supposed to do, if I ever wanted to be separated from you?"

Alvin lightly laughed, saying, "You know I was only joking…" He briefly glanced over at Brittany to see if her facial expression had changed, but he found that the grimace masking over her face remained present. Sighing, he then lightly added while bumping arms with her, "Hey, I don't know about you, but I think it'd be worse to deal with feeling the emptiness and pain from the other's soul inside of you, rather than feeling everything else they felt…so even if I wanted to, I would never kill you just to stop feeling. Plus, I'd probably start missing you..."

Hearing his words caused Brittany's frown to finally crack. She exhaled deeply and looked over at him with bored eyes. "You're lucky I'm no longer a high schooler, or else I'd be _very_ dramatic with you," she stated sassily before she fixed her gaze in front of her. If she could, she would've marched away from him, but due to the circumstances, and the fact that she couldn't exactly walk any further ahead of her, she decided she'd just have to suck it up and deal with him. This was probably the first time in history she was staying around someone who was burying themselves deeply under her skin to the point where she needed to rip them out before they made her explode with anger.

"I can hardly imagine," Alvin chuckled under his breath.

Brittany scowled and contemplated whether or not she would let his words ignite her fuse…but she thought better of it and decided to blow the fire out before it began to eat her up. "So, Alvin," she casually began, her scowl still plastered on her face, "did you ever have to go to school or anything of the sort?"

He nodded his head, seeming to narrow his eyes at something up ahead.

"Okay…and did you learn different things compared to what I had to learn?" she continued with her questions, acknowledging his attention wasn't fully on her, but deciding that he probably was seeing a rock or tree in a weird lighting. This forest was weird like that—where certain objects often would get caught in a strange lighting, making them appear as something else…

"Um, yeah…yeah," he shook his head, briefly looking over at her with a half-smirk. "Before I became who I am now…" his eyes wandered over to whatever it was that had caught his attention earlier before "…I had to go to school. We had to learn about the history of the magical world, certain plants and creatures, types of beings and their capabilities, myths and legends, reading other languages and learning how to speak them, self-defense, places, cities, villages, and we had to practice certain drills in cases of emergencies, and how we were supposed to react and treat humans for all cases we may come to with them…"

The whole time Brittany was listening to this, she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with jealousy. What he had just listed off sounded a thousand times better than what _she_ had to learn and suffer through… _Why_ did her life have to be this way? She had to learn things she hardly would ever need to know…great. It was fabulous to know she had wasted twelve years of her life sitting in a classroom, packing her brain with unnecessary information—and not to mention all of those dreadful homework assignments she suffered through, staying up late at night. _She lost a lot of beauty sleep over that._

"Did you guys have school dances, too?" she couldn't help but suddenly blurt out. If anything, those dances were probably the only events about school that made it sufferable, and were the only things that weren't a total waste of her time because she actually had fun at those dances—even though they actually weren't that fantastic, now that she thought about it…

"Uh—" he chuckled— "yeah, sort of…there was dancing…but…" He paused, and as if on cue, the moment he halted in his footsteps, grabbing ahold of Brittany's arm in the process, his two brothers came to a halt as well.

Brittany's face twisted up with confusion as she glanced between the three brothers quizzically. Her sisters didn't seem to know any better than she did, and shared her same confusion, for they were doing the exact same thing she was.

"Is something the matter?" Eleanor finally spoke up, only to be hushed by Theodore, who simply nodded his head, much to her alarm. The blonde-haired girl looked back at Brittany with urgent eyes in search for an answer, but much to her dismay, which was sinking visibly into her face, Brittany had none. She was just as clueless as she was.

From at the front of the small line, Simon turned to look back at his brothers. He first glanced to Theodore, then lastly to Alvin, before he brought his gaze to Jeanette's clearly frightened face. He leaned in to her, murmuring something soft into her ear, to which when he leaned back to stare at her face, as if to make sure she understood his words, Jeanette nodded her head. While that intercourse went on between the two bespectacled siblings, Theodore had seemed to communicate something to Eleanor as well, who never ceased to appear quite alarmed. If anything, her vivid expressions intensified from his words. She was obviously still confused, by the show of her eyebrows knitted together and her head tilted slightly, but she wasn't saying anything…

Brittany watched her sisters seem to ready themselves mentally…but she didn't even know what it was over. What had Simon and Theodore said to her sisters? She then peered over at Alvin, whom she found already looking at her, as if he was waiting for her attention to wander over to him like he knew it would.

"Are you ready to run again?" he softly asked, causing her eyes to widen.

She opened her mouth to question him from what, but before she even got the chance to utter out a word, she caught sight of Theodore and Eleanor suddenly breaking out in a run from in front of her; Simon and Jeanette were already running. As she stood there, dumbfounded, Alvin placed his hand against her back and pushed her forward, starting her off in a run.

In the back of her mind, Brittany already knew what they were running from, but she still asked anyways, while she still had her breath even: "What is it?"

"A Grimar," Alvin answered, just as she had expected.

It then occurred to her that the apparent distraction he had earlier wasn't over some stupid rock or tree reflecting light weirdly. He was staring at what must've been the actual creature…

With much curiosity, Brittany tried to look in the direction Alvin had been staring, but as she scanned the passing scenery, she couldn't seem to find this Grimar-thing…until she caught some transparent yellow waver a little, like a floating veil-like material, which shimmered in the soft yellow light that streaked through the trees, passing over the flowing river. This strange translucent yellow was floating just above the river, and if it weren't for its soft flowy movement, like a soft breeze was pushing against it, Brittany wouldn't have spotted it, for it blended in with the softening sun rays that shined through it.

But before Brittany could see the actual figure and make sense of its vague appearance, Alvin's voice from behind her snapped her out of the trance she was falling into, and she brought her eyes away from the ghost-like creature.

"Keep your eyes straight ahead of you, Brittany," he was saying to her. "Remember: eye contact with it will curse you into a cat-and-mice chase. Just keep your focus on Theodore and Eleanor, and follow where they're going."

Brittany pursed her lips, beginning to panic a little when she couldn't spot either of the two figures Alvin had just told her to keep her eyes, but as she continued to move forward, she began to see small traces of them up ahead, coming in and out of view through the large bushes that kept blocking them from her vision. She could tell Alvin was following closely behind her, and she almost turned her head just to make sure it was him. But knowing she would probably trip or run into some bush, she forced her head to stay put.

It was sundown when they stopped running, for who knows how long. All three sisters were completely out of breath, and they really weren't running near the end—it wasn't even a jog. They were using their strength, as if they were running, but their weak, tired, deflated steps made them go at a pace barely faster than slow walking. The brothers were panting and out of breath, but they weren't quite as far exhausted as the girls were; if they needed to, they would've lasted another long while running at a full blown speed.

The moment the Miller sisters knew they could stop running, all three of them collapsed on the grassy ground beside each other. Their throats were burning and sore—like they were sick, caught with strep throat. Sweat was dripping down the sides of their faces in a non-stop flow like a melting block of ice, and despite the cool night air, their bodies felt like they were trapped in a sauna that seemed to get hotter and hotter. And now that they were on the ground, it seemed like they would never be able to stand or get up ever again, for whatever strength they once had in their bodies was completely drained out, and gravity was enough weight to keep their weak bodies down. If they had known that this much running was required for their existence in this world, they would've prepared themselves and started running on a daily basis long before now...

"That was probably the longest time we've ever had a Grimar follow after us," Simon exhaled, standing up straight from his hunched over position.

"I thought you said we wouldn't have to worry about anything in that forest," Eleanor heavily breathed out.

"True…and I give my apologies greatly for that," Simon admitted. "Normally, whenever we travel through Aeon's Labyrinth, we don't come across a Grimar….but every now and then, it does happen…" He then lightly snickered. "And I guess we just so happened to be in that certain area at the wrong time."

After readjusting his black-framed glasses, the ocean-eyed boy turned to peer down at the three girls, sympathetically grinning: Eleanor was currently lying flat on her back with her arms and legs sprawled out, Jeanette had assumed a similar position to child's pose, and Brittany was also lying on her back, with the exceptions of her legs being propped up by her feet and her forearms resting over her forehead and eyes. Their excessive panting was now dying down.

"How are you girls feeling?" Theodore asked.

"I think you can clearly _see_ how we're feeling," Brittany snapped, her voice dry and hoarse. She hoped he knew how completely pointless and unnecessary that question was.

" _Brittany…_ " Eleanor quietly warned through clenched teeth. " _Be nice..."_

Theodore lightly laughed, though, simply nodding his head. "Yeah," he sighed with a small sheepish grin. "I can see."

"Well," Alvin spoke up, leaning down beside Brittany, "you girls can't rest quite yet. We still have a little bit of walking to do."

"What?!" Brittany groaned, immediately followed after her sister's soft complaints.

"You're joking," Eleanor huffed.

"How much further?" Jeanette inquired, her voice slightly muffled from the position she was still in.

Alvin snickered. "It's not that far—don't worry. It's about half a mile from where we are to get to Starless City and to an inn."

"If you're talking about a decent place that contains beds and a shower," Brittany began, "then I'll be more than willing to walk those extra steps…"

"Same," Eleanor agreed, slowly pushing herself up to a stand. She stumbled off to the side a little, wiping her forehead. "My legs feel like jello!" she exclaimed, still walking off to the side with jagged steps. "I didn't think I was _that_ out of shape…" she grumbled, just as Theodore cautiously approached her, stationing her still by gently grabbing her arm and placing a hand on her back.

"At least your body is more familiar to that sort of vigorous running," Jeanette remarked, pushing her upper body slowly up. "I'm sure I won't be able to even get up tomorrow," she muttered, preparing herself to come to a stand, acting much like this was some dreaded performance she had to present to a classroom.

"Need some help?" Simon offered, giving her his hand.

The brown-haired girl tiredly nodded her head, placing her delicate hand in his. He grinned gently at her, pulling her up seamlessly, like he was pulling thread from a spool. Jeanette's eyes widened slightly from surprise. She wasn't expecting to come to a stand that fast, and due to the momentum, her head immediately began to spin from the different levels she had moved her body, therefore causing her to stumble backwards.

"I gotcha," Simon lightly chuckled, grabbing her by her arms and helping her stay upright.

"Thanks," Jeanette timidly laughed, fixing the placement of her glasses.

Brittany heaved out a sigh, closing her eyes after she watched her two sisters get up. It was finally now her turn to stand…ugh. Great. She knew she had said she'd walk those few extra steps if it meant she could sleep in a glorious bed and cleanse herself in a shower…but now that it came to it, she wasn't sure if standing up was even an option.

"Alright, time to get up," Alvin pressed. "Britt, c'mon. Here, give me your hand…"

"Fine," Brittany grumbled, lazily thrusting her hand over in his direction.

He smirked down at her, grasping her hand firmly, and without a second to lose, he quickly pulled her up. Brittany's head began to spin immediately, and she closed her eyes over her blackening out vision. When she felt that the dizzy sensation had left her, she opened her eyes and peered around at their surroundings, blinking.

"We're no longer in the forest," she stated, staring at what was now the edge of Aeon's Labyrinth.

"Oh, you're right," Jeanette established, sounding quite amazed and relived at the same time.

When Brittany her back to the forest, she found a large open area, covered in lush green grass. Off to her right, a little ways away, River Infinyx ran, streaming right out of Aeon's Labyrinth, cutting through the open land and into what appeared to be another forest. Not too far away from where they stood, there was a wooden bridge over the flowing river, which linked two pathways together, where the end on the other side of the river lead in a curvy dirt road, down to what appeared to be a fairly large village, which beamed with bright yellow lights, like the whole entire place was lit up, and not a single soul was asleep.

"Is that where we're going?" Brittany queried to no one in particular.

"Yep," Alvin answered. "That's our next destination."

* * *

 **So sorry for the wait. :( I'm still trying to figure out how to manage my time so I'm not staying up late at night over school work, and so I also still have time to write and it's not almost 2 in the morning, like it is now. :P  
**

 **Thanks so much for reading! :)  
And thanks so much for the reviews! :D You guys are fabulous.  
**

 **Does it feel like there's a lot of running in this story? I feel like there is...**


	18. Chapter 18

"Make sure you girls lock your door," Alvin instructed firmly, still having a look of doubt written across his face.

When the group of six arrived at their next destination, Starless City, the boys immediately directed the girls to an old musty inn. Once inside and greeted by the old man at the front desk, they were given the options of booking a room with three beds or one. The girls saw this as an opportunity to finally be alone together, so they requested the obvious option, and that the boys should have their own room to themselves as well, but Alvin and his brothers weren't so keen with the idea of leaving the three sisters alone. It took a lot more convincing than expected, mostly on Alvin's part…but Brittany had managed to get their way…almost.

"Use all of the locks," Alvin added.

"Oh please, we'll be fine," Brittany sneered as she leaned against the open door, twisting the doorknob on the outside of the brown, polished door back and forth with her right hand anxiously. When was he going to just leave already? Not that she didn't like his company…he's just been going off about how she needed to lock the door and never unlock it until it was morning. In fact, he's been changing the rules, like he had done just now: instead of unlocking the door until morning, now she and her sisters had to wait until him or one of his brothers came to get them to unlock it.

"Fine," he sighed. "But I better be hearing that door lock…and I better not hear it unlock unless one of us comes by…" He motioned to himself and his brothers. "Also, we'll be telling you it's one of us when whoever of us comes to get you—I'm sure, if not all three, at least _one_ of you out of your sisters can identify our voices. So, if someone else comes by and it's not us, I hope none of you are stupid enough to open the door or say anything to indicate you're here—in fact, please, seriously don't. Alright?"

"Whatever—okay," Brittany nodded her head.

"Promise?"

" _Yes,_ " she exasperatedly replied, letting her head fall against the edge of the door and rest on it. She closed her eyes upon the impact. For some odd reason she wasn't expecting to feel any pain by doing that…

"Alright then…" Alvin huffed with a slight snicker, turning so he could look at his two brothers as if he was silently asking them if they had anything else to add. Simon and Theodore glimpsed to one another momentarily before slightly nodding their heads. Alvin then returned his attention back on Brittany and also nodded his head. Brittany stopped leaning against the door and began fiddling around with the doorknob anxiuosly. "That's it then," he finalized. "Make sure you tell your sisters."

"Yeah, yeah," Brittany waved off, shutting the door in his face. She sighed and shook her head, about ready to turn around and walk away, before she quickly remembered: _she had to lock the door._ She stood there momentarily wondering what kind of tantrum he would throw if she actually didn't lock the door… Or was he even that serious about it…?

"Did you drink a Slow Motion potion or something?" Alvin's sarcastic voice suddenly sounded off from the other side of the door. He was clearly still standing where he originally stood when Brittany shut the door.

Brittany rolled her eyes, gritting her teeth. "I'm _getting_ to it," she shot back, glaring at the door directly to where she knew Alvin's face was. Letting out a puff of air, she turned the golden lock on the door, just above the matching doorknob. " _Happy?"_ she dryly grinned, still holding a grimace hidden behind her "joyful" expression.

"Did you get the lock on the doorknob?" he asked.

"On the doorkno—wha?" Brittany's eyes flickered down to the doorknob, and sure enough, there was another lock for her to turn in the center of it. Narrowing her eyes and pursing her lips into a frown, she turned the lock. " _Now_ are you happy?"

"I'm pretty sure there's one more lock…" he simply responded.

Brittany's jaw dropped. "You're joking," she muttered, scanning the door for any locks she may have missed. He just had to be that picky…

When she looked up, finding the golden chain door guard, with its chain hanging loosely against the wall, she clamped her mouth shut and glared at it. Forcefully, she grabbed the end of the dangling chain and slid it in the golden slot that was screwed to the door next to it, securing it into place. Taking a step back and placing her hands on her hips, evaluating her work, she then turned on her heel. Her job was done. There were no more locks, so she shouldn't hear another word come out of Alvin's mouth—

" _Goodnight,_ " Alvin's voice sounded off, sounding very irritated.

Brittany crossed her arms, halting in place. If there was anyone that should be feeling annoyed, it wasn't him—it was _her._ She didn't want to respond to him, but she did anyway: "Goodnight, Alvin." And after that was said, she felt the brother's presence leave.

She remained where she stood for a minute or so, until she finally went back over to the door, undid all of the locks, and slowly opened the door, peering out into the dimly lit hallways. It was completely silent and empty... Her ice blue eyes trailed over to the closed wooden door a little ways away right next door to her right, where the brothers' room was supposed to be. She couldn't help but wonder whether or not they could sense when either she or one of her sisters opened this door…

When she began to hear the distance sounds of clamoring voices chattering amongst each other, her eyes immediately snapped over to look in the other direction down the red-carpeted hallway. It was new to her because she didn't remember seeing or passing by anyone on the stone-paved streets, even though all of the street lights and house lights were on…. It was completely silent when they entered Starlight City, and completely empty of human life.

Upon hearing the sound of a door opening to her right, Brittany quickly pulled herself back inside her room and shut the door, doing all of the locks at the speed of lightning, afterwards quickly turning around and walking away from the door, heading down the short hallway, briefly glimpsing behind her to make sure she had gotten all of the locks. Her stomach was fluttering with nervousness, for she feared that Alvin would call her out for that small stunt she pulled…but it's not like she did anything bad or anything bad happened, so…

Brittany slowed down her pace as she exited the small hallway entrance and entered into the actual room, which smelled strongly of alcohol, making her realize that the weird stench she's been inhaling inside this building was just a faint version of what she was currently smelling now.

Scrunching her nose in distaste, she eyed the fairly decent room before her, which was dimly lit up by the two lamps that sat on the burgundy nightstands, placed between the three beds, and the TV screen that was flashing bright colors on the left side of the room across the three beds, which was being watched by Eleanor, who was staring wide-eyed at the screen as she slowly took stuff out of her backpack and placed them on the cream colored bed covers before her. To Brittany's right, there was a closed door; she could hear water running, so she could only assume that that was where the bathroom was, and Jeanette was inside taking a shower, for her bespectacled sister wasn't visibly present in the room.

On the other side of the room, across from where Brittany stood, right beside the bed she knew she would be preoccupying in, since Eleanor seemed to have claimed the bed closest near the entrance where she stood, and Jeanette seemed to have claimed the one in the middle, for her backpack was placed on it, there appeared to be a pair of balcony doors shielded by crimson chiffon curtains.

Brittany stared at the balcony doors curiously before she abruptly headed over to them and spread apart the shear curtains, pushing them to their opposite sides, doing all of this with such agility. While she placed each of her hands on the golden door handles, she took a moment to stare out the clear glass doors, just to make sure there wasn't an unwanted guest waiting outside for her. When she found the small half oval-shaped balcony appeared safe and empty, she turned the door handles and thrust open the doors. As she stepped out onto the white solid surface, she inhaled the night fresh air and gazed at her surroundings, finding the old-fashioned city with its many structures lit up by a yellow lighting, which in return kept the entire city looking alive and awake. As far as she could see, it seemed like every building had its lights on, except for maybe a few.

There was a slight breeze in the air, which playfully danced with Brittany's hair as she leaned against the cement railing and exhaled, closing her eyes. It felt nice to finally take a break and just relax…be alone…and go back to a similar living she once used to live, even if it was just for a few hours... Brittany hardly realized how hectic her way of living had currently been, due to all of the distractions she's had, until now… If she knew the price she would have to pay just to be a part of this world she apparently belonged in, she wasn't too sure if she would actually have accepted to come along this journey or have made it this far. This was more than just dangerous…

From behind her, Brittany could hear Jeanette's soft voice begin talking to Eleanor, which momentarily distracted her from her thoughts. Her younger sisters lightly laughed, and Eleanor made a comment. Brittany could tell by the tone of their voices that both her sisters were tired…but they were also happy.

Sighing, Brittany opened her eyes and let her ice blue eyes stare aimlessly off in the distance. Mainly all Brittany wanted was the wellbeing and safety of her sisters…and she wanted them to be happy…

She knew her sisters had grown fond of Alvin's brothers...and she really wanted to believe they actually cared.

They certainly looked and acted as if they cared…but there was always the possibility they were only doing this because it was their job. They had important roles in this world…and even though it didn't seem like it, they would eventually have to say goodbye… Alvin, Simon, and Theodore weren't always going to be their bodyguards forever, and Brittany only hoped her sisters knew this….that they shouldn't let their hopes get too high… Despite this feeling like they'd be stuck with each other forever, Brittany knew that wasn't the case. Their journey together would eventually come to an end.

Everything about this journey really was dangerous. It not only has and will challenge Brittany and her sisters physically, but it also will challenge them mentally and emotionally. And either way, whether the feelings Brittany could see forming between her sisters and Alvin's brothers were purely one of friendship and not one of something more than that…it was just as dangerous. There was still a possibility to a dreadful loss that came with it, and even though it may not be a permanent loss, and one that occasionally is found every now and then, it amplifies a kind of loneliness…one that would make you feel empty. Brittany wasn't sure if they were ready for that…if _she_ was ready for it.

Exhaling deeply, Brittany pushed herself off of the railing and turned around to walk inside. But just as she did so, she glanced to her right and caught sight of something she hadn't even considered or thought about… There, on the balcony next door to hers, was Alvin, leaning against the railing like she was just seconds ago. He wasn't looking at her, though, in fact, it seemed like his attention was on something in his hand…but one could never be too sure when it came to him. A small scowl came up on Brittany's face when a thought of as to why he was there occurred to her. She hoped it wasn't because he wanted to keep an eye on her….

As flattering as his desire to keep her safe and protected was this strong, he really should lay off a bit. Brittany liked to have her own privacy every now and then.

But of course, maybe this was all coincidental, and maybe Alvin wasn't aware of Brittany's presence out here…and maybe he had come out on the balcony first. He did appear to have his full attention on whatever he was fiddling around with in his hand… Brittany blinked as a flashback struck her, and she was now certain she knew what Alvin was holding in his hand. At least she had a fairly good idea…

It was that weird stone-thing she had seen him holding while on the train. She never did ask him about it then, did she? There obviously had to be something special, or perhaps even sentimental, about it because no one carries around a stone simply just for kicks…

When Alvin suddenly moved and pushed himself off of the cement railings, Brittany quickly went inside, hoping he didn't notice her, if he hadn't already noticed her yet by chance. With her luck and his crazy senses, however, he probably was aware of her existence before she even took a step outside.

She purposefully left the balcony doors open, with the shear red curtains closed, just so they had some fresh air to breathe in.

As Brittany walked over to her cream covered bed, whose golden frame showed signs of aging, she plopped herself on top and watched her two sisters organize the things they had within their backpacks. Of course her own backpack was off in oblivion…

"You know," Eleanor hesitantly began while she set her backpack down on the floor and began to take out the hair elastics in her hair. "Didn't you girls find it strange at how…I don't know…."

"At how empty it was here?" Jeanette offered, getting on top of her bed.

"Yeah…that…and at how fervent the boys were to get us over here," Eleanor concluded.

"Yeah, I…I don't know. I found that slightly strange as well, but I think they did that because it's night, and…well, if what they say is true, then we're fairly…valuable, I guess, and, um…" Jeanette slowly trailed off, bringing her emerald gaze down to her restless hands that kept wringing at each of her fingers. Both Eleanor and Brittany simply stared, patiently waiting for their bespectacled sister to finish her statement like they knew she eventually would do.

Jeanette then brought her gaze swiftly up after gathering her thoughts neatly together, but as she spoke them, they ended up stumbling out of her mouth, her words falling out of eloquent order: "They know this place better than we do, and they understand, um, beings and places better than we do, and…there could still be creatures out there that want us nearby, and…I…well…I'm sure the boys have a decent reason for everything they do."

"We know, Jeanette, we understand," Eleanor softly smiled.

"They just don't explain anything too well to us," Brittany grumbled, examining her nails.

"I'm sure they have their reasons…" Jeanette timidly added.

"I'm sure they do," Brittany dryly grinned. "They just aren't so great at sharing it all the time—not until someone bites their tongue off for it. Well, I guess we don't always ask them why…they only share what they feel is necessary…" Brittany frowned. She really didn't like how she was justifying them when she meant to chew them out a bit.

"Yeah, maybe they'll explain to us tomorrow. Or I'll just ask Theodore," Eleanor sighed, going up to the TV. Before she turned it off, she asked if either of her sisters wanted to still watch it, which they both shook their heads. As she headed back over to her bed, she paused to stare at the clean pair of clothes she had resting on her bed. "I'm so exhausted—I think I'll just wake up early and take a shower then," she mumbled, glancing over at Brittany with soft brown eyes. "I guess the shower's all yours tonight. I have an extra clean T-shirt in my backpack—you could have it to sleep in if you'd like."

Brittany perked up at this. How did she ever manage to forget about that? If she actually remembered her dreams and had decent, normal ones, she was positive they definitely would be about her taking showers. "Oh, yeah!" she exclaimed quietly as she scurried to get off her bed. "Yes!" she spoke a little louder in response to Eleanor's offer. "Thank you! You're a life saver!" she praised, running over to give her baby sister a hug.

Eleanor rolled her eyes as Brittany squeezed her, but she returned the affection. "Yeah, well, what are sisters for," she grinned.

"Oh, I know, right?" Brittany chirped, happily bounding over to where she remembered the bathroom was located, only to quickly halt in her steps, just as she passed the small hallway with the triple locked door at the end of it. She heaved out a sigh, slowly turning to where her sisters were. "By the way, girls, I don't know if either of you heard, but _Alvin"—_ she couldn't help but feel irritated—"asked that none of us leave this room or open the door unless it's him or one of his brothers."

"Oh, um, okay," Jeanette shrugged, glancing over at Eleanor, who simply nodded her head.

"I don't see why any of us would ever go out anyways," Eleanor commented, bending down to her backpack.

Brittany pursed her lips, slowly moving to the bathroom. She could come up with several ideas as to why she would go out and explore the place…

"Brittany," Eleanor called out, tossing the said sister a small white bundle. Brittany turned and barely caught the unraveling T-shirt just as it hit her.

Grinning, Brittany thanked her sister and headed inside the warm, steamy bathroom.

By the time she had finished taking her relaxing, cleansing shower, put on the borrowed T-shirt, which barely fit as a fairly short nightdress, and stuffed her hair up in a wrapped towel on her head, she gathered her black attire and opened the bathroom door, quickly turning the bathroom lights off so she didn't disrupt her sisters whom were both sound asleep.

The cool air that awaited her outside the bathroom was quick to greet her and welcome her into its cold arms. Brittany couldn't help but slightly shiver at the sudden change in temperature, and briskly headed over to where her bed was. Once she had set what little she had in her arms on the ground beside her bed, she sat down on the edge of her bed, flipping her head over and rubbing the white towel in her wet hair to dry it up a little better. When she flipped her now crazed mane back over from rubbing it in the towel, she quickly used her fingers to tame her hair from its unkempt look. A brush would've been nicer, but…that was in the backpack she no longer had.

As she ran her hands through her wet hair, a subtle, yet noticeable movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Snapping her gaze quickly over with her heart leaping up to her throat, Brittany sighed, softly grinning at her foolish behavior. "Silly," she muttered quietly, for the movement had come from the chiffon red curtains; she had completely forgotten she had even left the balcony doors open. There must be a slight breeze outside.

Exhaling deeply, she dropped her hands down to her lap and listened to the silence…only to find that it wasn't completely as silent like she thought it was. Somewhere off in the distance, she could hear a horde of laughing voices coming from outside her shared room within the inn. They were getting closer, and soon, when she was sure the beings who owned the loud, disruptive voices were passing right outside their locked door, loud banging could be heard, pounding at their door. Brittany had jumped at the sudden noise, and she quickly got off her bed, turning to where the banging had come from.

It seemed eerie to look at the locked door with the shadows from the hall making it vague to see. Brittany checked to see if her sisters had been so rudely disrupted from their slumber, and upon finding them fast asleep, she figured their exhaustion from earlier was enough to make even a stampede of animals passing by seem soundless. She sighed, and soon enough, another set of pounding outside their locked door came bustling through.

Once again glancing over at her sisters, who remained still and peaceful, Brittany tiptoed her way over to the barricaded door. As she approached the door, she leaned her head up against the cool surface, barely able to make out a word of English from the many voices outside. Within a few seconds, after she had stepped away from the door and stared at it hard, it finally occurred to her as to why the brothers were probably so cautious about this—the locked door, the girls sleeping in the same room without one of the them to protect them instantly… Did they know that something like this was going to happen?

Suddenly another set of pounding came at the door, causing Brittany to jump. What did they _want?_ It was way too late at night—who the heck would be up this late?

Brittany huffed out an annoyed sigh. Was beauty sleep not a thing around here? As she stared at the door with cold eyes, a temptation suddenly swept over her. What exactly was going on out there? How many people were there? What did they look like? Were they even regular people? Or were they a mystical being of some sort? She wanted to open the door…

 _Just one peek…that couldn't hurt too much, now could it?_ her curiosity lured, and she slowly brought her right hand up to one of the locks, letting it rest there until she finally began to turn it. Her heart was pounding, for she knew she shouldn't do this…but she just wanted to know what was out there.

It sounded like some crazy party was happening. _Click._ She had undone one lock. Her hand slowly moved down to the next lock on the doorknob. She slowly turned it, swallowing the building saliva in her mouth. Just one look, that was all. She wasn't going to open the door wide or anything…nothing too obvious. Inhaling deeply, she looked up at the final lock she had to do. Slowly bringing her hand up to it, she then began to pull the chain through the slot quietly, but she froze when she could've sworn she heard her name being spoken, like someone was whispering in her ear.

 _Don't do It,_ the whispering continued _. Please, you know better than this. Go back to bed and ignore it. It will pass…._ And the whispering faded, like the distant voice coming from the back of her mind had left her mind.

Brittany pursed her lips, pondering the words she had just heard. That was her guilty conscience talking to her, wasn't it? She suddenly then thought of her promise she had made to Alvin about this. She promised him she wouldn't open the door for anyone else except for either him or his brothers. She really shouldn't break it…and she wasn't going to. Now that she had remembered it, she just couldn't even consider opening the door anymore. She couldn't even believe she had gotten that close to doing so. She didn't want to lose his trust, even though it seemed like a silly idea. What trust was there to lose anyway?

With a heavy huff, however, the eldest Miller sister quickly did all of the locks, fixing them back into their promised places, and stepping back to evaluate her work, she then turned on her heel and headed back to her bed. As she settled down beneath the covers, she couldn't help but feel like it felt different over here than it did when she had been brushing her fingers through her hair. There was something empty about it, like there was a missing presence…it almost felt slightly colder.

Brittany's eyes flickered over to where her sisters were, checking to make sure both of them were in place. She found that both hadn't even changed positions or moved once. As another thought came to mind, she slowly turned around, peering out through the shear red curtains which were fluttering lightly, like a soft breeze had stirred them. She contorted her face a little as another curious wonder came to mind, but she shook her head at the thought.

Today had been an exhausting day. Her mind wasn't thinking as clearly as it could be. She just needed to get some rest. That's all she needed.

Laying back and moving onto her side so her back faced her sisters, Brittany allowed her head to fully rest against the soft pillow, and closing her eyes, she fell asleep with the loud voices from outside their room beginning to finally fade.

.

Brittany's eyes snapped open the instant she felt her heart drop. She felt like she had just witnessed something she wished wasn't true—it was like her world had shattered at the sight. If only she knew what the heck she ever dreamed about nowadays, maybe she'd understand why she ever felt such negative emotions every single time she woke up… She just hoped these dreams weren't supposed to mean anything.

As she slowly pushed herself up onto her elbow, she looked around at her surroundings. The gentle gray lighting that shone through the crimson shear curtains indicated to her that it was fairly early in the morning. When she glimpsed over to her sisters, she found they were still trapped within their own slumbers, and who knew how long that would last. Brittany sighed and allowed herself to collapse back down on her pillow. What was she supposed to do now? Going back to sleep was an option, but she didn't want to do that.

She could always go out and explore—but wait, she couldn't do that, now could she? Ugh. Why did Alvin make her promise to keep the doors locked? Maybe now that it was daylight, that promise wasn't valid anymore… Brittany blinked. She could understand why he would want them to stay put inside this room at night, especially considering that weird party that apparently was going on just outside their room…but during the day? It should be fine…and it sounded like whatever was outside their room was long gone…

Brittany pursed her lips. She could always tell Alvin she thought he meant to keep the doors locked for the nighttime, and not the daytime…it could be an innocent misunderstanding…

Glancing over to the triple locked door, Brittany sat up and tossed her bed covers aside, only to pause when she realized the dark color the middle of the cream covers were. Blood red. She hesitantly turned to bring her legs over the side. Well, the color matched the color of the carpet…but it was just weird to her. She had thought the inside was cream. Shaking the thought off, she got off the bed and moved towards the door, pausing when she felt a light breeze. She turned to look at the balcony doors. Maybe she should shut them now…

Upon making up her mind to do so, just as she moved towards the doors, a light knock came from behind her, once again causing Brittany to halt in her movement. She heaved out a sigh and turned to look at her original destination she had planned to go to.

"It's me," came Alvin's clear, familiar voice.

Brittany perked up at the sound of his voice and lightly ran over to the barricaded door. Quickly undoing all of the locks, she opened the door, finding him with his back turned to her. Alvin slightly turned his body to look at her with his sky blue eyes. He looked a little cleaner and his hair wasn't as tousled as it normally was.

"C'mon, let's go take a walk. Hurry up and get dressed," he stated, his eyes briefly scanning Brittany over before he turned away.

Brittany's eyes dropped to stare at what she was wearing, and she abruptly nodded her head. "Right, I'll be out in a sec," she assured, barely shutting the door before she rushed to get to her clothes.

* * *

 **Not my best chapter... I'm going to try and get back into the swing of things, so hopefully my updates will be a bit more frequent.**

 **And I'm SO terribly sorry for such a long wait for an update! - school is kicking my butt...  
**

 **I hope you guys are all doing great, and thanks so much for the reviews and support, and for taking the time to read what I've written! Lots of love! :D Hopefully my next update happens within the time span of at most a week. ;D**


	19. Chapter 19

Brittany couldn't help but hover closely behind Alvin as they made their way through the now crowding streets. Currently, they were on their way to Willow Groves, and in order to get to the entrance, you had to make your way all the way through Starless City. And while you could enter Willow Groves any other way, the way through Starless City was the better option, for that's where the pathways start, and without the pathways, it was a lot harder to find your way through. Willow Groves was their next destination because at the very heart of it, that was where you would find the entrance to Willow Shadow Market, and that was their next best hope to find a way to get rid of the Dreameater preoccupying Brittany's mind. Right now, they weren't so much in a hurry at the moment, for the sun was now barely beginning to set, and the door to Willow Shadow Market didn't open until it was nightfall, but either way, the three brothers were very eager to get Brittany there. Time wasn't on their side for this.

Brittany subconsciously checked behind her to make sure her sisters were still there beside Simon and Theodore, whom seemed to be keeping an extra close watch on her sisters. Her nerves began to slightly ease up. After her conversation with Alvin this morning, she now felt like a dog on alert. He mainly educated her about the people in Starless City, and things she should be aware of about this place, and he didn't have very good things to say.

Apparently Starless City was the last place you'd want to wander the streets at night, despite all the bright lights that were always lighting up the city like it were the Fourth of July. The people here, well not quite people, Brittany wasn't even sure if they were all that human now…but according to Alvin, to say the least, every being that lived here was someone to look at as a predator. And not so much in the sense that they were going to hunt you down and eat you like a lion, but that they had strong desires of violating and torturing you, and that it was completely normally civilized and acceptable to do so, and it was all fair play and game to them.

This morning while she walked with Alvin close at her side, the streets had been completely empty, ghostly, to the point that all the streamers, broken windows, and left out glass bottles of who knows what looked like the party really had just vanished into thin air, that it really was just a bunch of ghosts who had been having the time of their lives all night until sunrise came. The stench that wafted the streets was overwhelmingly strong, smelling like nail polish, vanilla, and vinegar had all combined together in one toxic brew. Alvin had said that the smell was from the drinks; it was a famous drink that this city was well-known for, the people were addicted to it, something called Black Liqour, which was made from fermented Shadowberries.

Apparently the Shadowberry fruit was special, and only grew in two places: Willow Groves, which could be found once you went all the way through Starless City, and somewhere deep within the Inferno Forest, where there was no light. The Shadowberry fruit couldn't survive in any sort of solar lighting, not even the light of a small star. It only survived in darkness, and like everything else that fed off of darkness in this part of the world, it meant that this plant was one of the devil, only providing effects that caused disaster. Starless City used to be a decent place to visit, formerly known as Starlight City, for other beings always saw this city as a beacon of light in the middle of darkness. This city always had their lights on, at first intentionally for the benefit of others being able to spot it once they managed to escape Aeon's labyrinth, or were about to. However, those first intentions no longer remained, for they slowly disintegrated as the minds of these people changed, once they discovered the Shadowberry and fell under its sinister influence.

Anyone who wasn't aware of what had become of Starlight City, didn't know and understand the change in its name, always fell victim to the ways of these people, and rarely did it ever turn out pretty for these beings. Starlight City lost its name to Starless City because while there were many lights that were always on throughout the city, shining as bright as a star, all the bright lights made it so you couldn't see any actual, real stars in the sky above the city, and out of the two, one was more positive than the other, and Starless City no longer had positive intentions. Only few who have the intellect and survival skills needed to escape what their fate could be manage to get away and make it all the way through Starless City, to where the entrance to Willow Groves can be found.

The people here did enjoy a good party, and threw one every night, toasting to the Black Liqour (which made Brittany think they followed the idea of party all night and sleep all day because that is what they literally did do; the streets had been completely empty all morning and afternoon until now). In fact, right now, why there even were so many people out in the streets was because apparently they were already preparing and getting ready for this next party. It was a cycle they couldn't stop. Not with the parties, and definitely not with their drinking. And whatever sense they had left in their mind to get over this addiction was now no longer able to bring them back down to earth. The effects of Black Liqour kept a strong rein on them, always bringing them back for more. Once they took a sip of the drink, they would lose all control of their mind and the little amount of poison the fruit contained would take action, coaxing their minds to sleep while it brought out the inner beast. Something these people hardly realized as a bad thing.

Alvin wouldn't go into too much detail when Brittany asked him what that actually meant. He simply repeated what he had said to her earlier, "They like to violate and torture. That's all you need to know"…but there were many different meanings to that alone.

But either way, she knew enough and didn't feel comfortable being surrounded by all these people belonging in Starless City. The way they all looked at her as she passed them by, practically hiding behind Alvin—there was something in their eyes that didn't seem right. While it was only when they drank the poisonous drink that these people would really act upon its influence, Alvin said that because they always drank it every night, the poison never really leaves their body, so their minds aren't all there anyway. It was kind of like they were zombies.

Brittany now knew why he was so strict about keeping the door shut and locked at night, and had she have actually opened the door when she was tempted to, who knows what would've happened. Brittany sighed heavily at the distant memory, allowing her eyes to scan her surroundings, avoiding eye contact with the people, for the last person she looked at gave her a creepy smile, somehow reminding her of the way cartoon cats are drawn when they smile, having eyed a mouse who was unaware of their presence lurking near.

The once light blue daylight now had changed colors into dispersed hues of orange and blood red, and the string lights which lined above them in horizontal lines, almost creating a roof, shone brightly like each glass bulb contained a small piece of the sun. The buildings that lined the stone pavement on either side of them reminded Brittany a lot of Stoneforge; they looked very medieval, with the exceptions of having a crisp, new look to them. Brittany stole another glance behind her, to check and make sure her and Alvin's siblings were still there.

She frowned. They weren't there anymore.

"Alvin," Brittany began, slightly slowing down her walking, but quickly realizing Alvin wouldn't be doing so, she picked up her pace with a burst of speed, catching right up behind him.

"Yeah?" Alvin turned, eyeing her with his sky blue eyes.

"Where are your brothers?" she asked anxiously. "My sisters?"

He simply shrugged, which slightly irked her. Did he not care? Was it not that big of a deal? She hoped he knew that his brothers were supposed to be with her sisters, and that if she couldn't see them in sight, she would assume something bad had happened. " _Alvin…_ " she growled.

Alvin smirked at her. "Relax. They're not too far behind. Jeanette accidentally tripped over one of the empty glass bottles, that's why they're not as close to us anymore," he said.

The frown on Brittany's face deepened. And not because she was upset with her sister or for Alvin for not wanting to slow down, but because of these _people_. They didn't have any manners, whatsoever—was it that hard to clean up your own stupid glass bottles? Come to think of it, these bottles were everywhere littered on the ground. It was like they had a confetti spread of these glass bottles all over Starless City, some having been kicked into the far sides of the streets creating a puddle of glass. Maybe it would even smell decent too, if these so-called "people" did something about it. "Right," Brittany grumbled. "Of course that would happen. I swear to you, if Jeanette got an injury from that trip, these people—" but before she could finish her little threat, she found herself falling forward to the ground.

Brittany barely had any time to catch herself with her hands, and as she scrambled to get to her hands and knees, getting ready to come to a stand, looking behind her, she caught sight of a glass bottle, beginning to roll away from her, as if it was actually trying to run away from her, having known what it caused her to do. Brittany scowled. "Stupid— _stupid_ —" Someone suddenly stepped on her hand, and a gasp of air escaped her lips as she snatched her hand close to her chest. "Ow," she muttered, looking down at her hand and examining it for any open wounds.

There weren't any open wounds, thankfully, but there was a large black smudge of someone's shoeprint on the back of her right hand. Coming to a stand, Brittany immediately searched for Alvin, no longer finding him in sight. The extra space the people seemed to give to Alvin to space them away from him like he had a shield around him began to fill in, and Brittany could feel people shoving against her shoulders carelessly as they made their way past her, almost like she wasn't even there. "Hey—!" Brittany huffed, trying to make her way forward to find Alvin. He had said something about how she should never ever wander these streets alone until she was properly trained to handle herself in this world. "Ow! Could you at least—!" And once again, Brittany found herself on the ground, out of the busy street and between the space of two buildings. This time, the cause of her fall wasn't because of a bottle, but because she was sure someone had shoved her to the side.

Hissing at the newfound pain in her left arm, Brittany struggled to lift herself off the ground. She had to grit her teeth against the pain to even bring herself in a sitting position the sides of her legs. She cradled her now injured arm, taking the dare to look at how bad her injury was. Her breathing had gotten uneven and heavy, and as she rested her eyes on her open wound, she could see that the fall had ripped open her skin and created a nasty, fat scrape down the sides of her left upper arm; the whiteness of her blood really did make things look less scary, and she was sure that if she had gotten her arm chopped off, it still wouldn't look too bad. She squeezed her eyes shut as she endured the stinging pain that was beginning to prick at her arm like a thousand needles.

Brittany took in deep breaths as she tried to decide what to do. _Alvin._ He was her first priority, despite how much she wanted to try and tend to her wound. His warning to her now echoed inside her head: _Never,_ ever _wander these streets alone, no matter how crowded they may seem. You can't trust these people. They may try to help you—always refuse it. Until you're ready to be on your own, which you're not, if ever you find yourself in the misfortune of returning here unarmed and unprepared, may the angel Eirene herself protect you._ Brittany swallowed. She peered over at her arm, her right arm aching just a little from the shove. She needed to get up.

Sucking in one long breath, Brittany began to pull her legs out from under her, and just as she was doing so, she noticed that a little ways away from her, down the dark alleyway which led to a dead end, something laid on the ground beside a few stray bottles, some broken and shattered into little pieces. Her eyebrows knitted together as she tried to figure out what she was seeing. Finally coming to an unbalanced stand, Brittany gasped and quickly turned her back on the scene as her eyes widened with horror. She blinked a few times, taking a peek at what laid behind her, only to flinch like it had shocked her as she swiftly turned her head away with a snap.

She closed her eyes as the image reappeared in her mind, sticking like it was glued to the back of her eyelids. What she had seen was unmistakable, and somehow she just knew that that's what Alvin meant when these people had strong desires of violating and torturing you. What she had seen was a stripped female body, covered in bruises and cuts, laying in what must've been her own dried up blood. The image was sickening to the sight, and Brittany could feel a tingling sensation on her tongue, the stench of the Black Liqour seeming stronger than ever and making her feel worse.

Alvin. She just needed to find him already, before she became a part of that disturbing scene…

"Can I help you?" a man's voice suddenly asked.

Brittany stiffened, not recognizing the voice. Slowly, as she lifted her head and straightened herself, she found an older man standing before, looking like maybe he was somewhere in his mid-30's. He reminded her a lot of some lumberjack with the way he dressed and appeared, having a dark burly beard and masculine, bulky figure. He was maybe a few inches shorter than Alvin, but he was definitely wider than him. His dark eyes lacked a sense of humanity within them, and that's when Brittany knew she was in trouble. He looked at her not as if she were human, but as if she were prey.

Her pounding heart began to urge her to move, to run, to get away—anything, but her legs wouldn't move. She was frozen stiff and she didn't know what to do.

The man took a step forward, and Brittany finally was able to break out of her shocked state. "Stay back!" she ordered, the cool air in the alleyway making her aware of the skin on her body that wasn't covered in black. Never in her life did she wish for Alvin's presence this badly. _Where is he?_ She hoped he at least realized she was missing, so she had some chance at being saved.

"Whoa…" The man seemed alarm at her reaction, but Brittany didn't put down her guard. "Take it easy there."

She wanted to seethe to him _no,_ but she knew that that probably wouldn't do her any good. Maybe if she let him think she trusted him, he wouldn't be prepared or aggressive with what she was going to possibly try and do. "I'm sorry," Brittany sighed, taking a few step towards him, carefully eyeing how much space there was on either side of him. "It's just, it's been a crazy day these past few days, and even being around _normal_ people…" she had to force "normal" out of her mouth with an immense amount of effort "…I've just been on edge. It's not you, it's all me." She now stood in front of the man, and she couldn't help but wonder if she even stood a chance on combat with him. "Now, if you'll please excuse me, I've got to go find my friend…" she tried to walk around him to her exit, but he stepped in front of her.

Brittany's heart dropped as she began to hear a deep rumbling, quickly realizing that it was the man who was now beginning to laugh. "Now, now, why so eager to leave? I think your little _friend_ can wait," he said, breathing into her face. Brittany had to scrunch up her nose in disgust at the awful smell.

"Um," she tried to resist to not cough, "no, no, he, um…he actually _can't…"_ and she tried to walk around him to the other side, but she felt a big hand clasp her on her right shoulder and her heart just about leaped out of her chest. Immediately her body went stiff with nerves, and she was sure this man could tell. She couldn't control her breathing, which now came out in shaky breaths. She was panicking, and when she searched the passing people to see if anyone had noticed and would try to help her, she saw that these people walked on by, as if they didn't know what was going on. So that's how it worked…that's how they responded, wasn't it? A man or women—whoever—could be raping some innocent visitor in a public alleyway, and no one would even blink or respond to the situation. They would simply walk on by, like it was as normal as any other thing.

"There, there, you don't need to look so frightened," the man calmly said. "A pretty little thing such as yourself shouldn't ever have to worry or be afraid," he murmured now in her ear, having moved to standing behind her. He gently placed his other sweaty hand on her other shoulder, and began pulling her backwards. "Try to run and I'll snap your neck," he threatened darkly.

Brittany was at a loss for words. Her mind was racing and her whole body felt like it was about ready to jump off a cliff. She felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, and all she could think of was how on earth she would be able to escape.

"Now, do exactly as I say, and maybe you won't get hurt…too badly," he said with sinister chuckle.

Brittany shuddered as she felt his revolting breath spread over her bare shoulders and arms. She was for sure going to make sure she took a shower one way or another, if she ever survived this. Just the thought of his breath on her made her want to vomit. Her eyes squeezed shut as her body tensed when she felt this man's large hands begin to slowly trace down her arms. With how much tension she felt, she was sure she would shatter and break under his touch, and she wished she could, but nothing happened once his hands gripped onto her waist tightly, his fingers pressing painfully and uncomfortably into her skin.

She could feel her chest tightening as her heart began to pound loudly in her ears, urgent and fast. _Alvin, where are you?_ she cried inwardly, shouting it helplessly. _Where are you…?_ She had to escape him…this man, she needed to get away from him somehow…but how? She didn't have anything—she had no weapons , she had no—

 _But you do have a weapon_ , a voice echoed inside her mind, and that's when everything seemed to click into place. She did have a weapon. There was still the knife that Alvin had given her, attached to her thigh. Brittany brushed her hand gently against her thigh, so it would go unnoticed by the man, and she felt it. She felt the hilt of the knife. Opening her eyes, having found a new hope, she let her hand rest against the knife, and her hand gripped onto the handle firmly. And just as she felt this man's hands begin to slide down, sending her nerves into a frantic frenzy, she heavily breathed out "Oh no you don't" as she swiftly pulled the knife out and stabbed the man into his side.

As planned, the man pulled back in surprise and yowled out in pain, spewing an abundance of swear words under his breath, and Brittany didn't waste any time to break out into a run. She didn't even bother to look at him. All she knew was that she _had_ to get away. She could hear the man's voice calling out to her, telling her to come back, but that only made her push her legs off the ground even faster. _No way_ was she ever going to listen to that man and let him control her like he owned her.

" _Move it, people!"_ she growled as she shoved her way into the crowd of people, not caring how rough she was getting. If they were going to ignore her, then she would give them the exact same treatment and ignore them if they fell to the ground because of her. All she cared about was getting away and finding her way back to Alvin. She had to find him, or at least someone she knew. And as Brittany desperately pushed her way into the crowd, her heart pounding hard and fast within her chest and her breathing becoming ragged, she suddenly found herself tripping and falling into something hard. Hands instantly caught her, and when she looked up with frightened eyes, getting ready to push this stranger away, she found his familiar sky blue eyes there, hard yet soft and comforting at the same time.

They stayed like that for a few silent moments, saying nothing. Brittany could see Alvin's jaw was set tight and that he looked furious, but she couldn't tell if it was at her until the man who had been chasing her suddenly broke the moment with his loud screeching voice.

"Hey, you little—!" but the man cut himself short, the moment Alvin flickered his stern eyes over at him. The man seemed to freeze in place, speechless, like he had just realized something very horrible.

Alvin gently pushed Brittany aside, and in one swift movement, he had taken one of the silver daggers from his belt and slit the man's throat. Brittany clasped a hand over her mouth, unable to tear her gaze away like she wished she could. She watched in horror as red liquid rushed out of the cut on the man's throat like it were water breaking through a dam, and as the man silently clasped his hands over his throat with wide, terrified eyes, he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground like a mountain crumbling down. Brittany's hand slowly lowered from her mouth, and she clutched her hands closely to her chest, listening intently to her own heartbeat. The man didn't move; only his blood continued to flow out from beneath his hands. As Brittany looked around, she found that for this, the people surrounding them did stop and acknowledge what had just happened with masked emotionless expressions, but the horror and fear reflecting in their eyes was something they couldn't hide.

For a while, Alvin stood still, staring down at the bleeding, now lifeless body. Eventually he crouched down and pulled out the knife Brittany had used to stab the man's side with, wiping the blood on his plaid shirt, also wiping his own dagger on the man's shirt, before he stood up. He turned his head as he eyed each and everyone around them with a grim, calm face. "The next person who comes near the girl, let alone touches her, will join this man in Hell," he said.

Everyone surrounding them stood still, not even blinking, but the silence was enough as an answer. Alvin sighed, looking up at the deep red sky before he turned to look at Brittany. Studying her carefully, he slowly walked forward, almost as if he were expecting her to try and run like a scared rabbit. When he came face to face with her, he pushed her loose hair out of her face and behind her ear. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, letting his hand linger for a moment along her jaw.

Brittany swallowed, barely nodding her head as she cracked a small smile at him. "Yeah, I think so." For once, her mind ran blank on her. She wasn't sure what to think or feel. She just saw Alvin kill another man…and while every part of her told her that it was immoral, she couldn't help but feel like justice had been served.

"Okay." Alvin nodded his head, handing her her knife. Brittany took the knife, staring at it for a moment, before she exhaled deeply and placed it back within its sheath strapped to her thigh. "C'mon, we need to hurry. My brothers and your sisters are waiting for us at the entrance. We can take care of your injuries there," he said, walking past her.

Brittany simply nodded her head, feeling as if her feet had just become heavy weights. She couldn't help but rest her eyes on the man who had almost gotten the best of her for a few seconds. His lifeless body laid still and his glossy eyes stared up to the heavens, paralyzed to stay this way forever in his own bloodbath. When she slowly turned to follow Alvin, briefly catching sight of the people staring at her, who were beginning to gradually move along with their own business like they were trapped in slow-motion, she found him standing a few feet away, watching her, and she couldn't help but stand like a statue as their eyes locked onto each other's hold.

She wondered what he was thinking. She wondered how many lives he had taken. She wondered if he cared…

After a while, Alvin finally broke the silence.

"You know, you might as well take a picture—it'll last longer," he stated with a small smirk. Brittany's shoulders deflated and she rolled her eyes. Of all the things he chose to say, of course it's that. As she reconnected her eyes with his, she noticed there was something in his softened sky blue eyes that said something else that she couldn't quite read. "Let's go," he finally said, interrupting her attempt at deciphering him as he reached his hand out for her to take.

Sighing, Brittany placed her hand in his, and he securely wrapped his fingers around hers before he pulled her along.

.

"What took you guys so long?" Eleanor asked, just as Alvin and Brittany arrived. It was clear that by the looks on Jeanette and Eleanor's faces that they had been heavily concerned. Simon and Theodore in contrast, however, didn't look one bit distressed.

"It was nothing—I tripped," Brittany quickly said before Alvin could say anything.

"You tripped?" Eleanor echoed in disbelief, as if she had expected something else.

"Yes, and if you don't believe me, look—" and Brittany showed them her left arm, whose blood had now coagulated with a sheen silver crust "—I have proof. You can thank one of those stupid glass bottles," she dryly ended.

"Oh my—Brittany! I'm so sorry…" Jeanette sympathized.

Brittany shrugged. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault."

"But—"

"Don't worry about it—I'm sure one of the brothers can fix it up..." Brittany looked to Alvin, who nodded his head. "I just don't want to waste any time—remember? I have some creepy-dream-eating-parasite in my head, and I don't think it's going to wait and get my permission to eat any more of my memories."

"Brittany's right," Simon cut in, just before Eleanor could speak up. "The sun's almost down, meaning, the doors to Willow Shadow Market will be opening very soon. It'll probably be open by the time we get there—it's best that we don't waste any time."

Eleanor clamped her mouth shut and nodded her head. Brittany made an attempt to give her baby sister a reassuring smile, one that told her "Nothing bad happened. It's okay, I'm safe and alright," even though she knew very well that that wasn't quite true. Eleanor's worried expression didn't seem to falter, despite Brittany's attempts, but the blonde-haired sister didn't question it any further and followed Theodore as he walked out of the boundaries of Starless City and onto the dirt pathway, which was sheltered under looming, dropping tree branches, curtesy of two willow trees that mirrored each other on each side of the dark pathway. Next to follow behind Eleanor and Theodore were Simon and Jeanette, who were lastly followed by Alvin and Brittany.

Before she actually trailed behind the bespectacled pair, Brittany had stopped just before the entrance, taking a moment to absorb what she was just about to walk into. The old-fashioned buildings had stopped lining the sides of the stone street a couple hundred meters back, while dark green willow trees began to take its place. There wasn't much to see, since the many willow leaves filled in the empty spaces the darkness on the ground couldn't reach, and while there wasn't much to hear or see, other than the soft whisper of leaves rustling against each other in the cool evening breeze, there was something very serene about the place. It didn't give off a dark aura, and the fresh, dewy smell of green life had a soothing effect to the senses.

"So this is Willow Groves?" Brittany asked, as she felt Alvin's presence approach beside her.

"Yep. Now, c'mon, let's go," he said, beginning to walk onto the dirt pathway. And she followed.

.

During the majority of the walk, Brittany and Alvin didn't speak a word to each other, except for in the beginning, when he tended to her scrape on her left arm. As of now, Brittany was far too absorbed into her own thoughts to even realize Alvin still existed at the moment. She couldn't help but go back and think about what had happened earlier today. The incident with the man… She was sure now that he probably was the one who had shoved her. But that's not what quite bothered her the most. Not even his death bothered her too badly. What bothered her was the fact that Alvin probably felt every bit of pain she felt when the incident happened, from beginning to end. He knew bits and pieces of where she had been touched—harmed—and there was something about her privacy that she no longer had, due to this "cursed" bond, and that bothered her. She didn't like how Alvin knew certain details she would rather keep to herself.

And sure, she still wasn't all on board with Alvin killing that man…but he certainly made his point after that. When he pulled her along with him through the crowd, people made sure to stand a good few feet away from them, and not just because Alvin was there, but because of her as well. If there was anything Brittany learned from this, it was that the power of fear that death creates certainly was a strong one. Brittany could only imagine two possible reasons, as stupid as it may be, as to why these people took Alvin seriously and didn't want to die: Alvin was one of the Keepers of Peace, and these people couldn't imagine a world without their precious Black Liqour. Who knew what they served in Heaven and Hell, if those places truly existed.

Sighing, Brittany suddenly stuttered in her steps as she nearly tripped over a large root she couldn't see in the blackness that flooded the grounds. It wasn't dark enough for her to not see her own shoes, but it was darker than what she was used to. Brittany had to grit her teeth once she found her footing. At this point, the sun had fully gone down, and the sparse stars that lit over Willow Grove was the only lighting that made it possible to stay on track on the dirt pathway.

"You never struck me as the type to lie to your sisters," Alvin abruptly said, catching Brittany off-guard.

"Excuse me?" she frowned, turning to look at him, only to remember that she couldn't really see him, and neither could he. Unless he had some special night vision he never shared about.

"You didn't tell your sisters the whole truth," he elaborated.

Brittany pursed her lips. "Well, of course not…" She sighed, giving up on trying to see what kind of facial expression Alvin had. "But I wouldn't say I really lied to them," she quickly added. She didn't like the idea of her and her sisters to be lying to one another; they were pretty close, and considering the relationship they had, lying wasn't something they would do (or at least they would try to avoid if they could help it).

"Hm," was all she heard from Alvin.

"Look, they would've freaked out a little too much—some things are better left unknown. I'd like to think you would understand, but I guess not," she said.

Alvin briefly snickered. "No, I do understand…much more than you might think," he softly spoke.

Brittany's eyes flickered over to where she knew Alvin to be on her right side. She was about to ask him what he meant by that, but got interrupted before she could even say anything.

"Well, looks like we're here," he said.

At that, Brittany turned to look, and she slowed in her walking. Up ahead of them, a uniquely large weeping willow could be visible in the center of a decent-sized black pond. Small flickering lights of yellow floated around the drooping tree, every now and then kissing the ink black surface of water. The dirt pathway didn't immediately lead to the tree, but instead circled all the way around the pond, to where several other dirt pathways connected to it; the narrow dirt bridge which actually lead to the weeping willow in the middle was a little ways off to the left from the rounding pathway Brittany was just barely exiting from, with Alvin close behind her.

" _That?_ " Brittany could only question, coming to a stop. She honestly was kind of expecting something a little more different than this. Something not so obscure.

"Yes, _that_ is the where the entrance to Willow Shadow Market is," Alvin said, nudging her forward a bit. "Go on, follow where you see my brothers and your sisters walking."

"Um, okay…" What she really wanted to say was, "But there's not even a door…" but Brittany didn't want to argue about anything, and she had to remind herself what world she was beginning to be a part of. Everything out of the ordinary, or that seemed impossible, was now very normal and most likely, if not very likely, possible.

Through the darkness, Brittany could spot four black figures already beginning to walk across the pathway that cut through the still, murky waters, appearing as nothing but moving shadows. Taking one last glance at Alvin, whom Brittany could now see a lot better, thanks to the fireflies additional lighting in the darkness, she trudged onward and headed to where the pathway connected to the small platform the willow tree rooted itself in. Beneath her feet, she could feel that the ground was a lot softer than it had been away from the pond, and it felt as if she were stepping on moon sand.

By the time Britany had made it to the bridge and crossed the narrow pathway, keeping her eyes glued to the ground so she could guarantee the safety she could, she immediately halted in her steps once she recognized the sprouting of large roots emerging before her like dark waves that had frozen in place.

Looking up, her ice blue eyes landed on the towering, old giant, whose jagged lines seemed to hide many faces all meshed together in the dark. This tree had to be ancient, and something told Brittany that this was the oldest tree out of all the other willow trees. As she continued to stare in awe, she also kept an eye out for where the entrance would be—if there was some doorknob, lever, anything—but as her searching eyes kept looking, she found nothing. Obviously there had to be some sort of entrance around here, for Alvin's brothers and Brittany's sisters were out of sight. Brittany hardly realized that their siblings had even vanished out of sight until now. If only she had paid attention…

"I know this tree is grand and everything," Alvin suddenly began, cutting into her thoughts, "but you can't seriously be that captivated by it, especially since I've never seen you stare at _me_ this long."

" _What?"_ Brittany turned to look at Alvin behind her. She didn't even have to look at him in order to sense the smirk written across his face. "The only reason why I haven't bothered to stare at you as long as this tree is because it's actually got worth to stare at," she snapped. And with a huff, she faced forward and crossed her arms. _The nerve he had…_

Alvin chuckled. "I beg to differ."

"Of course you do," Brittany grumbled.

"If only you knew," he simply responded.

"Yeah…" She rolled her eyes. "Well, are you going to tell me where the door is or what?"

"Door?" he echoed humorously. "There's no need for one. The entrance is right before you. Just walk into it."

Brittany's face contorted as she stared at the willow tree in front of her. She couldn't quite tell if he was joking or trying to trick her into walking into a tree, but when he never laughed or showed any signs that he wasn't serious about it, she hesitantly began to step forward. She could feel him following behind her, so she tensely continued walking, closing her eyes shut tight when she was just about ready to walk right into the trunk of the old tree. She felt like she had just walked through a veil of heavy energy that pressed against her skin briefly, and the next thing she knew, she could hear loud chattering noises, like she had just pulled earplugs out of her ears in the middle of a party. The lighting seemed to change as well against her closed eyelids; it was now a soft yellow light, like someone had turned a lamp on.

When Brittany finally began to open her eyes, at first peeping them open just a sliver, her mouth soon fell agape. They certainly were no longer in Willow Groves as far as she could tell, but it oddly smelled the same of willow bark., so maybe they were still near the place. Instead of being surrounded by trees, many small carnival and booth tents of deep vampire colors were scattered throughout the place like a state fair, minus all of the rides and games. There were strange beings, hooded figures, travelers, and gypsy-looking people scattered throughout the place, either hosting their own booth tent, or browsing around, looking at strange objects and plants. The ceiling was a deep midnight blue with gray dark clouds slowly moving across the surface, creating the illusion that it was the actual night sky; an abundance of floating lanterns drifted close to the ceiling, being the main source of light. There was a distinct coolness in the air that made it feel like you were inside a cave.

No one seemed to pay attention to her sudden arrival, much to Brittany's gratitude. She's just about had it with all of these peculiar people and beings staring at her like she was an alien; plus, not to mention how horrible she probably looked. She hasn't seen her reflection for at least 8 hours by now, and that was far too long to not see one's own image—at least in her rule book.

Brittany turned her head to look behind her at Alvin. He seemed to be scanning the area, but probably having sensed her eyes on him, he suddenly peered down at her. "So, what do you think?" he questioned.

"Well…" Brittany turned to look at their new surroundings once more. "I don't really know. What exactly is Black Shadow Willow—"

"Willow Shadow Market?" he cut in. "Well, it's a worldwide market hidden underground (below the willow trees) for all mystical beings where you can buy, sell, or make a trade for something you desire or are in need of. Some things you can find here are rare plants, herbs, ancient objects, relics—anything."

"And we're here to find something that may help my situation…" Brittany slowly spoke, to which Alvin nodded to; she kept forgetting that there was a parasitic ghost inside her head—so much had been happening, she barely had any time to think about it, which was probably a good thing. Something told her she should be freaking out more than this, but it was like this wasn't a big deal. The severity of her situation seemed surreal, and a part of her doubted she was _that_ much in trouble, but Alvin and his brothers clearly thought otherwise. Maybe it was them who was overreacting, even though they had said that if her dilemma got any worse than this, it could cost her her life, which seemed impossible. How could she die so soon?

With a small sigh, Brittany let her eyes scan their whole surroundings one more time, and this time, she noticed that the far dark walls, which looked like a never-ending abyss, actually had large roots piercing its blackness. So, they were underground somewhere beneath the big willow tree…

"I see my brothers and your sisters—c'mon, let's go meet up with them." Alvin gently pushed Brittany forward, keeping his hand on her back as he guided her through the maze of beings. "And try not to stare," he mumbled under his breath as they passed a tall, cloaked, black figure who Brittany noticed that their black cloak left smoky, flickering traces, like it were fire being blown in the wind. "Staring at someone here, will most often than not, result in two different possibilities: a fight or someone's death. As much as I love a good brawl, I'd rather not deal with either. We're tight with time, so please…"

"Alvin, I get it. I'll do what I can to not stare," Brittany heaved out, feeling slightly irritated.

"I hope you do," was all Alvin said, just as they arrived at a silky velvet booth tent which sheltered one long table completely covered in a shear, shimmering black material; a ton of small beautiful stones, gems, and charms were spread all neatly across the tabletop, somehow placed in an organized pattern. The host of the items stood on the other side of the table, appearing fairly human, friendly even, with his handsome angular face, framed by glossy black hair the length of his chin; he wore a long black cape, making his pale porcelain skin look whiter; everything about him seemed perfect, except there was something strange with the way he moved, how his black eyes seemed lifeless.

Brittany suddenly heard Alvin clear his throat and she blinked, looking over at him. He had a subdued glare that immediately reminded her she wasn't supposed to stare, and like a child getting caught with their hand in the cookie jar, Brittany pursed her lips and looked away, her eyes finding a curious attraction to one of the many charms spread across the table beside her.

She was about to reach out and touch it when Alvin suddenly said, "Don't touch anything," making her hand retract as quickly as an elastic, "and don't talk to anyone. I have some things to discuss with my brothers and Emrick." He began heading over to where the pale being stood, who Brittany realized was listening intently to one other being, Simon. "Oh, and…" Alvin stopped and turned, eyeing Brittany seriously "… _stay put_."

Brittany exhaled deeply, crossing her arms. Alvin pursed his lips, glimpsing off to the side at something momentarily, before he fixed his gaze one last time on the light auburn-haired girl, and turned around tentatively, heading to where his brother and the pale host, Emrick, conversed. That was when Brittany realized her sisters and Theodore were nowhere near, and she began to search the other tent booths that seemed to have many other beings engrossed with the items there. To say the least, she saw many weird things, none of which were her sisters and Theodore.

Just when Brittany was about to give up looking, she began to hear some distant clustered whisperings, echoing within her ears. Self-consciously looking around, to see if anyone else could hear the same creepy voices, she found that, of course, she was the only one. She looked to Alvin for help, but quickly realized he was too busy with talking to Emrick to even notice the sudden change in her expression. Grinding her teeth, she began to search her surroundings once again, and turning around, she froze in place. It was a small urge, one she shouldn't have listened to, but it was like she didn't have a choice because before she knew it, her feet were already guiding her to the small black carnival tent.

It felt like she didn't have any control over her own thoughts and body. There was nothing she was thinking about or hearing, other than the beckoning whispering voices that were becoming louder and more restless as she approached the entrance to the silky black tent, whose parted flaps that hung closely together wavered open against the breeze—

Brittany abruptly halted in her steps, just as the whisperings suddenly ceased and she blinked, staring at the motionless material. There was no breeze. Those flaps shouldn't have been moving—was that just a delusion? Was she now going crazy? She did just walk through a tree not too long ago, something that shouldn't have been possible, and was transported to this weird underground market with weirder objects and beings.

As the oldest Miller sister stood before the entrance of the black tent, she contemplated whether or not she would go in or not. Yes, Alvin had told her to stay put; true, it would be foolish of her to go venturing into something she didn't know about; however, it couldn't just be coincidence that she unconsciously wound up in front of this tent. There had to be a reason, and she wanted to know. Taking a step forward, Brittany paused. But at the same time, this could be a trap. She had to remember that there were beings after her kind…after her blood.

Brittany bit her lower lip. To go, or not to go. She turned to look at Alvin, who was still engrossed with talking to this Emrick; Simon beside him was fairly focused too. No one was paying attention to her. Brittany fixed her gaze back at the entrance to the tent. If she were any other being, and knew the ways of this magical world, understood all the possible dangers, would she walk into this tent, after having heard what she had heard, seen what she had seen, and walked to the entrance like she were hypnotized to do so? _No. Maybe. Yes._

Inhaling deeply, Brittany took one last glance at Alvin before she stepped inside the black tent, its soft material running like pouring water against her skin. She shivered, taking in her surroundings, trying to see if she could spot anything unusual that would threaten her stay, but it was fairly dark and she couldn't see very well. Her hand went to the knife attached to her thigh, readying itself to pull it out if she ever needed to use it.

It felt a lot cooler inside the tent, and as she slowly crept forward, approaching a curtain of beaded labradorite stones, which gleamed against a soft orange light on the other side of it, a calm, leathery voice spoke up: "Come in, dear, and tell me why you're here."

Brittany instantly froze in place, looking around her as if to check if the female's voice was actually talking to her or not. Her eyes lingered on the entrance. She still could get out of here if she wanted to—she still had a chance to avoid all of this—but…she wanted to know… She was curious. So with much precaution, Brittany stepped forward, moving some of the beaded stones to the side so she could pass through without making too much noise. Upon entrance to the small room, the first thing she noticed was the gothic candle chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

When she looked at every other object in the room, it all reminded her of what a fortune telling room would look like. Off against the black wall to her left, a small bookshelf full of old, ancient books sat, collecting some dust. In the center of the room, right in front of her, there was a small round table, covered in a burgundy chiffon tablecloth. What distracted her from looking at the rest of the room was what lay on top of the round table, placed perfectly in the middle below the chandelier candle lights: a crystal ball, that was beginning to cloud with black smoke as it whispered words to her in a language she couldn't quite understand.

Stepping forward, once again caught in an uncontrolled trance, Brittany reached her hand out just to touch the smooth glass with one finger. The moment her hand met the glass, however, like a shock of electricity, a surge of energy fled through her finger and through her body, and in her eyes, she saw a flash of images. Where her finger rested against the crystal ball, the swirling clouds inside began to magnetize towards it, small sparks zapping out of the black cloud. She suddenly yelped and flinched away as a lightning suddenly struck where her finger rested against the orb, and the images she was seeing disappeared like she had just turned them off with a switch.

Brittany blinked as she tried to even out her sudden heavy breathing. Her heart was pounding wildly, like she had been running for her life. She felt so confused and lost, and her index finger clutched close to her chest was stinging from the shock. What had just happened?

"My, my…" the lady's voice from earlier suddenly spoke up, and Brittany looked to the source on her right. In the far corner of the room, she could see a figure sitting in a seat, lifting a teacup to their lips. "Now that's something you don't see all day. Take a seat and I'll be over in just a sec. Would you like some tea?"

Brittany's face twisted with even more confusion. "What?" she rasped out.

"Yes, you clearly would like some tea," the lady humorously mumbled, more to herself than to Brittany. "Sit before you collapse on the ground," she then ordered as she got up off of her seat and walked to the tea tray on the small table not too far away from her.

Brittany could only blink some more before she looked back at the round table with the crystal ball on top, which was now completely clear of the black smog. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she slowly pulled out a chair from beneath the table and timidly sat down in it; her heart rate and breathing had simmered down by now. Suddenly a small, glass white teacup and plate was set in front of her, filled with a golden steaming liquid that had a soothing citrus-mint smell to it. "Um, thank you…" Brittany hesitantly said, watching as the slightly hefty, yet short lady dressed in a midnight purple long dress, intricate with jeweled designs around the neckline, hemline, and sleeves, went and took the seat across from her. She clenched her teeth as she took in the lady's appearance.

The being across Brittany highly reminded her of those old creepy ladies you always saw in movies, right before something bad happened, with her sagging, crinkling skin, messy, short gray hair tied in a low bun, thin lips racking with wrinkles, and piercing black eyes framed by light colored hair that made it look like she had no eyelashes and eyebrows. Maybe Brittany shouldn't have come in here after all…especially since this old thing in front of her looked like she could very well suck her soul out of her body in five seconds flat. She wondered if the sweet-smelling drink in front of her had anything in it she should be worried about.

"So tell me, did the crystal ball by any chance show you anything?" the old lady asked.

Brittany blinked, as the memories came back to her. She did see something. What she saw was like watching a movie on fast-forward, and it didn't make sense. She saw warriors getting armed for battle, light and darkness clashing against each other, and then she saw fire, five kingdoms falling…and then one last thing. She didn't take her hand back because the lightning shock from the crystal ball actually hurt her finger, it was because she felt a sudden surge of dark energy, and that scared her because right at that moment, she saw a dark figure standing amidst the flames, and that figure was Alvin.

* * *

 **This is the motherload of words and it's probably boring, and I hope everything makes sense, but if not, feel free to ask, and I'll answer (and maybe later I'll actually read over this chapter and edit it). I know I probably overloaded this chapter with too many explanations and reasons and yada yada yada, but I don't want you guys to be confused and I don't even know what I'm dong. This is a little rough for me since it's been ages that I actually wrote something for fun and in a creative way, rather than for some boring essay. But anyways...  
**

 **Thank you so much to all of you who have been reading and who have been keeping up with this story! I really do appreciate it. :) And a big thank you to everyone who's favorited/followed and not to mention reviewed! Hope you're all doing well! And we'll see how good I am with updating...  
**


	20. Chapter 20

"Go ahead, take a sip, there's nothing to fear," the lady soothed, leaving Brittany feeling uneasy with her close-lipped grin. She still wasn't sure if she wanted to tell this lady what she saw when she had touched the crystal ball; she felt like she could still feel the buzz in her finger. She looked down at the thick, golden liquid inside the porcelain teacup.

"It's safe and will revive you of lost energy," the old being added, like that was a surefire way to motivate her to drink this foreign substance. Brittany sighed, and much to her reluctance, her hand slowly reached out and grabbed the glass teacup. Looking up, she didn't make any effort to hide her wariness to the eerie smile and black beady eyes before her as she brought the teacup to her lips. She thought about fake-drinking the liquid, but that seemed impossible to do, so as she tilted the cup upwards, allowing the warm syrupy liquid that smelled strongly of citrus and mint to take shape against her lips, she hardly allowed any to seep past her lips before she brought the teacup slowly away.

When she licked her lips, she found that the flavor of the soft liquid tasted exactly as it smelled, and for some reason, she couldn't help but desire more. _But that could have poison in it for all you know,_ a voice whispered inside her head. _Take caution._ Brittany pursed her lips, suddenly wishing she could purge the liquid out of her systems. Why did she just drink that? She could've said no.

"See, wasn't that tasty?" the old being enticed. "Please, finish it. It's my own special recipe. Go on…"

Brittany opened her mouth, about ready to retort, but she held herself back. She needed to be careful. One wrong word and this strange lady could go psycho on her. If anything, she'd rather stay on this being's good side, and the drink seemed safe enough… She heaved out a sigh, bringing the teacup back up to her lips. She could feel the warmth emanating from the liquid against her skin, sending a quick chill throughout her body, and taking one last glance at the being across from her, she slowly tilted the cup up, allowing its contents to drag slowly into her mouth and slide down her throat. While the taste was pleasant, there was something revolting about it that reminded her of drinking cough syrup.

As she finished up the drink, completely unaware of how much she was drinking, trying to focus on how she felt physically, the old being asked: "Now tell me what you saw within the crystal ball…"

Brittany's whole body went rigid, making it so she had the capacity to move as a Barbie doll while she slowly set the teacup back down on its matching plate. So this lady now _knew_ she saw something…this was some serious, sketchy business. All Brittany could do as she let this sink in was stare at the being.

The lady, not seeming to notice how uncomfortable she was making her guest, began to hum a soft tune, one that sounded like it could belong to a nursery rhyme, and she reached over taking Brittany's empty teacup. She adjusted the cup in the palm of her hand, running a long, bony finger around its golden rim. "You know, he's not always going to be there to protect you," she hummed.

"What?" Brittany blinked. Her hand self-consciously moved down to where her knife rested against her thigh.

The lady continued with her eerie melody, eventually coming to a stop. It became utterly silent. There wasn't a single sound that could be heard—even Brittany's heart seemed to put itself on mute while the temperature in the air dropped and a heavy feeling settled atop her chest. She would've gladly excused herself out of that place, but the weight on her chest felt like it was holding her down. When the lady finally looked up, much to Brittany's dread, her heart just about stopped and her face contorted with horror as she screamed, except no sound came out.

The lady— _no_ , the _being_ that existed before her, seemed to have lost every feature that ever made it appear human. Its eyes had gruesomely changed, so where it should have been white, it was now a startling deep crimson, pulsing out thick globs of blood; there were small black dots in the cores of each eye, spazzing out with little spikes, appearing like a dying spider. This being's skin had drastically changed to a lifeless color, and whatever fat that there used to be seemed to have vanished, leaving the thin, leathery-looking outer layer to sag on nothing but a hunched skeleton. It was baring disgustingly pointy, rotten teeth at her into a kind of devilish, Cheshire Cat smile. Even its clothes seemed to have changed to something shadowy and unreal.

Brittany hardly dared to move, let alone breathe, while this being bore its eyes into her own, plunging down into the depths of her soul. And just when she thought things were at its worst, the candles from above suddenly began to go out, one by one like a countdown, until there was only one left. She could feel her heart pounding swiftly inside her chest, beating her adrenaline all the way down to the tips of her fingertips and toes.

The silence around them continued…becoming solid within the room…until the being abruptly moved, causing Brittany to jump back just as the last candle went out—but it was already too late.

The being had grasped her right wrist tightly in its bony, clawed hand and was ripping its teeth into her flesh as it pulled her across the table. A gasp escaped her mouth from the pain, and she soon began to feel something warm sliding down her arm. _Blood._ She tried to scream again, but once more, no sound came out. Brittany breathed heavily through her mouth as her situation slowly settled in. She looked around in the dark, stunned with fear as to what she should do. She would've tried to pull her arm free, but somehow she knew she wouldn't be getting her hand back with it if she struggled. She was absolutely terrified.

Where was Alvin? What if she died? Her mind was swarming with questions, but all of them dispersed once this being released her and she snatched her arm back, quickly falling flat on her back. She let out a soft groan as she squeezed her eyes shut. Her shoulder blades and head were now throbbing from the impact, but she forced herself to sit upright. Within a few moments, the fire on each candle quickly came back to life, and when she opened her eyes to where she last saw the being, she found the strange, old lady back in her seat, holding her teacup like nothing had just happened.

Immediately confused, Brittany's eyes dropped down to examine her wounds on her right wrist, but to her surprise, she found nothing. No blood, no wounds. _Nothing_

"Hmm.. _."_ the lady purred, taking a sip out of her teacup. _But that was originally empty, wasn't it?_ Unless she had switched Brittany's teacup with her own. Brittany stared with great caution as the lady set the cup down. Her ice blue eyes rested on the teacup. "You need to be more careful, Brittany," the lady murmured. "Or else you'll never make it. It seems that Life has planned for you something very unusual…all the Trials of Drykolan …"

Brittany's eyes followed as the lady brought the teacup back up to her lips and took another sip. This time when she set the cup back down, there were some traces of something white and metallic sticking to her lips. The tip of something black came out of her mouth and cleaned it up. Brittany's eyes dropped down to her wrist, and she ever so slowly began to scoot herself backwards.

"I also find that you're in a bit of a complicated situation right now," the lady continued, dropping her beady eyes to the substance that seemed to be inside the teacup. "You need to act and choose wisely…because Death will always be around the corner for you…especially now…he is very close by…" the lady paused. Brittany had frozen as well, quite captivated by the words that had been spoken. The lady then looked up and grinned. "Welcome."

Brittany's eyebrows furrowed and she turned to peer behind her. She blinked at the tall figure, suddenly feeling relieved. Alvin. _It was about time!—_ except he wasn't looking too thrilled. She didn't suppose it had to do with the fact that she had disobeyed him and walked off into some random tent, where some crazy being was, where she could've potentially died, was it? No, no…he was probably saving his anger about that for later when they walked out of this place. _Great._ Something for her to look forward to. However…

She suddenly shuddered, beginning to feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She looked up at Alvin, staring at his emotionless face. There was definitely something about him that made her glad she wasn't the one his eyes were currently focused on, battling in a staring contest. He seemed different…as if he carried a new sort of air with him—one of preeminence and something you just knew you should never, ever mess with. Was this some special power he had for being one of the three Keepers of Peace? Could Simon and Theodore create this sort of tension as well?

Alvin's eyes suddenly shot down to Brittany's and she stiffened. After a few moments, she blinked a few times, slowly dragging her eyes down to her hand that still gripped onto her wrist. Well that wasn't fair. How was she supposed to even stand a chance in this staring game with him when his eyes did stuff like that? His eyes did it again. The sky blue—there was a flicker of gold that seemed to have emerged out of his pupils. But like a wave quickly getting pulled back into the ocean, the gold disappeared within the pupil. She didn't get it—

Without a warning, Alvin had suddenly slipped his warm hands under her arms and was picking her up to her feet. Brittany stumbled back a little, running her back into his chest. He helped stabilize her by placing his hands on her arms, and that's when she remembered the strange lady who was still sitting in her chair, grinning ghoulishly at them.

"Let's go," Alvin muttered, grabbing Brittany by the wrist and pulling her along.

Brittany nodded her head, stealing one last glance at the being whom had oddly remained silent this whole time. She found it funny, considering that this _creature_ sure had a lot to say earlier about…her future? And not to mention it seemed to know exactly who Alvin was, or at least that he was acting as some bodyguard for her…but something told her it wasn't the latter.

"You can't escape Death," the lady's old voice suddenly croaked out. "No one ever can…just like the darkness…"—its voice began to get deeper, almost like it was a dying voicemail machine—"…you'll understand…what you saw will help you…you don't know who you should really be fearing…but you'll see…" Its voice had now become something entirely different, now down to a raspy whisper as Alvin led Brittany through the beaded curtain. "I'll be watching you…I'll be watching all of you…" From behind them, Brittany could tell that the candles were going out, one by one once again, but this time there was an urgency about it within the speed they were snuffing out. It felt like something worse than before would happen, and that made Brittany's insides churn with nervousness.

She turned her head to peek over her shoulder, but Alvin's grip tightened around her wrist and he murmured "Don't"—but she still managed to catch a glimpse of the scene behind them. The fortune telling room was now a gray, decaying room that looked like it had seen a thousand years pass by; dust and cobwebs now touched every surface; the beaded curtain had now lost its gleam and was missing some length to it on some strands; there appeared to be something rusty smeared across the crystal ball and along the floor; and where the old lady sat was now a crouching, dark figure. Only one candle flame from the black, gothic chandelier remained alit.

"You're time is running out," the creature whispered.

The last candle blew out.

.

"Hey—where'd you run off to?" Simon asked, just as Alvin came up beside the bespectacled boy and Emrick, pulling a disturbed Brittany along behind him. She couldn't tell how mad he exactly was at her, but with the way he gripped her and wouldn't turn to look back at her…she was assuming a lot?

"It doesn't matter," Alvin huffed. Okay, so maybe he wasn't that mad? Maybe he'd even forget and let it slide? Brittany could only hope for so much. But didn't he think what happened inside that tent was weird? What was that granny-creature-being? She needed explanations, and she wanted them now. When she looked away from staring at the back of Alvin's head, she found Emrick staring at her with his black eyes. She immediately averted her gaze, shuffling a little behind Alvin. "So could you think of anything?" he asked. He seemed reluctant to even inquire.

Simon sighed, his face shadowing over with something resembling solemnness.

"I'm afraid," Emrick suddenly spoke up, "that no natural remedies can save your star-friend now. Twelve years is a long time, and this Dreameater has already accessed her memories. It's too strong now. You'll have to handle this case with a bit more of an extreme procedure, if you wish to save your star-friend from an early death…"

"I'm not letting her get anywhere near black magic," Alvin firmly shot.

"Alvin…" Simon looked at his brother. It seemed that they were having another one of their silent conversations; all the while, Brittany was beginning to have a sinking feeling stab into her chest.

 _Your time is running out._

 _You can't escape Death._

"So am I just going to die?" Brittany suddenly spoke up. Alvin finally turned to look at her for the first time since the events in the tent with the strange being, but this time around, Brittany couldn't bear to look anyone in the eye, so she stared straight ahead and watched some creature that resembled a hideous goblin with sickly moldy skin, picking up jars of who knows what and examining them. She didn't want to see the confirmation in anyone's eyes because the thought of dying already just seemed like too much. She had just barely gotten introduced to this strange, amazing world. She was just barely getting to learn about her actual self. And now, to have that all taken away…she just didn't want to accept losing all of this so soon.

That's when she began to feel a little angry. How come she didn't have a say in what happened in her life? Her life didn't belong to any of these guys—it was _hers._ If she wanted black magic to be done on her, then she'd have it done. She could live with the consequences—she'd rather know she fought for her life than just sat there, waiting for it to slip away in her fingers as time ticked by—but then Alvin suddenly spoke up, and for whatever reason, she couldn't help but be startled by it.

"No."

She blinked, finally looking over and locking gazes with her protector. "What?"

"I said: _'No.'"_ Alvin stared at her fiercely. "As long as you're under my protection, you're not dying. Not even over my dead body." Brittany opened her mouth, but clamped it shut. She had no idea how to respond to that. All she could do was take his words in and allow them to absorb into the depths of her mind. In reality, they sunk into her heart, where it would eventually be found, but she had no idea about that.

"But Alvin, if you're not going to use black magic, then how do you suppose you're going to kill off this Dreameater?" Simon questioned, crossing his arms. "Regular magic isn't strong enough for this, you know that."

"Might I add," Emrick began casually, "that when I said you must take to a more 'extreme procedure,' I wasn't necessarily referring to simply just black magic?" He then rested his strange black eyes on Alvin. "I believe you already knew what you would have to do in order to save your star-friend, even before you arrived here, my dear friend." He then grinned, his pearly skin and handsome face making him look completely clean and pristine. _He looks like he could be a doctor,_ Brittany randomly thought as she examined him. _A vampire doctor._

"Well, what is it then?" Simon asked, and Brittany's eyes wandered over to the attention of the conversation.

Alvin sighed, momentarily glimpsing over at Brittany, before he looked back over at his brother and said: "Clarity Falls."

"In the Forest of Dreams?" Simon mumbled, mostly to himself, but this caught Brittany's attention. That place sounded familiar—it was mentioned once before, wasn't it? She watched as Simon's face contorted with confusion. "But—we don't even know where it is—let alone, we don't even know if it even _exists._ It's just a legend, as far as we know…unless…" His wary eyes rested on Alvin.

"Come now, Simon. You should be old enough to know this, unless you have already forgotten, that all legends are true? No matter how bizarre?" Emrick chided with a _tsk tsk._ His frowning face quickly faded into a friendly, challenging grin.

Brittany tilted her head a little; all of this was actually somehow sounding somewhat familiar to her.

"Have _you_ been there?" Simon inquired.

"No, but I know someone who has." Emrick's grin grew and he glanced over at Brittany, winking at her. In response, she checked to see if there was anyone behind her. She definitely must've seen wrong—he must've had something in his eye, or he's just weird and blinks with one eye… She could hardly see how any of this could associate with her, but…she also caught on to how Emrick seemed to know things. He obviously was an acquaintance of the three brothers, for whoever knows how long, and he had to have been someone they trusted because he clearly knew who they were and what she was….

"Well…" Simon pursed his lips. "But don't you think that's a little risky? I mean, we have no idea where this waterfall is— _nobody does_. Brittany could very well _die_ all because we couldn't find this place soon enough. How are we supposed to find something that can't even be found and placed on a map accurately? There are few beings out there that have claimed they found it, and you know what happens? They all give different directions that wound up leading you somewhere completely unknown within the forest and nowhere near the actual destination."

"Simon, not everything you want to find can be found, simply because you want to find it," Alvin stated. "And you know that. Clarity Falls contains one of the world's purest, natural magic out there. Something like that—you have to _need_ it—whether you know it or not—in order for it to let you find it. And Brittany needs it—heck, her life _depends_ on it."

"But you know how dangerous the Forest of Dreams is," Simon countered. "Not only would we be putting Brittany's life on the line, but we'd also be putting Jeanette's and Eleanor's lives on the line as well—"

"You guys won't be coming," Alvin cut in. "You and Theodore are going to get Brittany's sisters as fast as possible to Seville's."

"But—" Simon began.

"Simon, beings from all around are already beginning to hear the rumors—our time is running out…" Alvin stressed, making Brittany's body immediately freeze up.

 _Your time is running out._ Brittany frowned at the haunting, whispering memory. She could still hear it so vividly inside her head…

"But Alvin, we can't just let you go off on your own—it's dangerous for you, too! We can't—"

" _Simon, I'm serious_ …" Alvin finally let go of Brittany's wrist so he could grab his brother's shoulders. "The Forest of Dreams would almost be doubling the time it would take to get the girls safely to Seville's, and you _know_ it's a lot better this way if we separate and have you guys get Jeanette and Eleanor safely secured…."

"But Alvin…"

Brittany bit her lower lip, staring down at her wrist as she massaged it. It felt awfully warm from Alvin's grasp—in fact, where he had gripped her was slightly wet from her beginning to perspire a little. She lifted her gaze to watch as Alvin moved this conversation a little further away and tried to compromise with Simon, who really seamed on edge about separating from him. She truly felt empathy for him, for she knew exactly how he felt. She'd never want to abandon her sisters…but she knew it was for the best…and she knew Alvin would never let her have a say in this. If it were any other day, she probably would've actually joined Simon in with this fight.

However, a lot had happened today. More than once, did she truly feel fear. If what Alvin said was true…then she'd rather have her sisters be safe. This world was so dangerous…more dangerous than she ever thought…and she was now beginning to realize that.

As she watched the two brothers argue, feeling a little helpless with what she should do—what if something sketchy were to happen again?—someone suddenly tapped her shoulder lightly. She jumped at the touch, but immediately relaxed when she saw that it was just Emrick, who had now moved to stand directly opposite of her from the tables that separated them. "Siblings' quarrel," he commented while shaking his head. "This one's a lot deeper than you think."

Brittany pursed her lips, glancing back over at Alvin and Simon; beings nearby seemed to ignore them. Now that he pointed it out, Simon did seem truly distraught about this. His face expressed so much passion and worry. She couldn't help but wonder how Alvin's face looked, for his back was turned to her. That's when it occurred to her… "It almost doesn't make sense," she slowly said, briefly glimpsing at Emrick to see if he was still there. His full attention was on her, with his black orbs making her feel slightly intimidated, but she went ahead and explained what she meant. "They're immortal. They don't have to worry about losing one another forever…"

"Are you sure about that? There's always more than meets the eye. That's something you should always consider in our world—a little piece of advice from me," he hummed, looking down at all the treasures he had spread on the silky black material. "Ah, here we go—" he picked up a glittering, silver necklace with a crescent moon charm dangling from the chain "—this is a protection charm. It has five small gems, infused with Dream Miasma in it." He paused, staring at the charm for a moment before he hesitantly held it out to Brittany. "It will—I mean, it should, um, it should help slow your parasite down…and give you more time..."

Brittany stared at the charm in his hand for a while. It looked absolutely gorgeous, like it could cost her half of her life savings. "I don't have any money," she dumbly said, feeling a little sad.

"Think of this as a…as a welcome gift! Or a pity gift, if you're really feeling down," he humored, but the lightness in his voice didn't reach his eyes.

After a short time period with Brittany just staring, mostly at Emrick (but she tried to keep it inconspicuous), she finally reached over and hesitantly took the charm from Emrick. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but imagine his hand suddenly becoming monstrous and latching onto her forearm while the rest of his skin tore up and revealed a hideous beast underneath. But that never happened, and now she was holding the charm up close to her face. Like he had said, there were five small round gems running along the center of the crescent moon charm; they were each five different pure colors of red, green, blue, yellow, and orange. She wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but she felt like she could feel some weird energy coming from it for a few seconds.

"Once you get rid of your little pest, that should keep you protected from any other Dreameaters getting into your head," he added as Brittany put the chain over her head and adjusted the necklace around her neck. "And it's probably best that you, um—" he cleared his throat— "that you keep it hidden." He suddenly seemed uncomfortable, and that made Brittany eye him as she slowly placed the charm behind the coverage of her black top. It was then that Alvin appeared at her side, looking a little worn out.

"I think we're going to be heading out now," he said, glancing over at Brittany. "It's getting late, and this place is getting more crowded. We don't want to be seen by someone that will ask for trouble." She nodded her head, getting sidetracked when she noticed Simon, who was slowly coming back over, not looking too happy. He stopped walking, looking as if he heard someone call his name, and turned, peering around with a hard concentration. She was curious how the conversation ended, but it seemed like it was personal, and either way, she knew Alvin would give her a brick wall as an answer.

"Ah, yes," Emrick chimed in his smooth voice. Upon looking over at the beautiful figure, Brittany found he had recomposed himself and looked perfectly fine. "Witching hour does tend to be the busiest. Of course that time varies. It depends on the item or being."

"We really need to start moving out—and _fast_ ," Simon abruptly said as he came up to them.

"Where's Theodore and the girls?" Alvin asked, his whole demeanor completely changing.

"I don't know—hopefully nearby," the bespectacled boy sighed.

"Wait, what's going on?" Brittany asked. She could tell that this place was now a lot more busier than when they had arrived, full of new beings she had never seen, but they all looked too engrossed with the items they were looking at to even notice any other being around them. Plus, this was a public market—weren't there any regulations that protected them from any trouble?

As if he could read her mind, Alvin stated, "Some beings just don't know how to control their desires. In this world, violence is normal and sometimes seen as a pleasure, or a way to cope with your anger. We did tell you not everyone likes who we are, right?"

Brittany slowly nodded her head, now understanding their situation. So this didn't have anything to do with her and her sisters. It had to do with some bad blood against the brothers.

"I'm going to find Theodore—you and Brittany should leave," Simon urgently said. "I think they already know."

Upon hearing this, Brittany shot him a look. "Wait— _now?_ " But she needed to say goodbye to her sisters—see their faces one last time— _no._ They couldn't leave now, not without her seeing her sisters one last time.

Alvin stared at Simon long and hard, nodding his head. "Remind Theodore of that song we had to sing when we were little." He glanced over at Brittany briefly, adding, "And take care of Jeanette and Eleanor. No matter what it takes, get them to Seville."

Brittany's heart dropped to the pit of her stomach and she opened her mouth, unable to find any words. She couldn't believe what was happening. She looked to Simon for help, since he was originally the one who was on edge about them separating in the first place—maybe he'd feel pity for her and alter this plan of theirs, for she knew her word was just as useful as a feather…

But Simon pursed his lips and exhaled deeply, nodding his head. He gripped Alvin's shoulder in a way that a close friend would, right before they headed off to war, with neither of them knowing whether or not they'd see each other again. Something shifted in his deep blue eyes, revealing a vulnerability Brittany didn't even think existed within any of these brothers, but there it was. That's when she realized what he had said was final. "I'll come back for you," he said, his grip getting firmer for a second before he let his hand fall back at his side. After a moment, his gaze moved over to Brittany, who was beginning to feel a dreadful horror fill up inside of her. "You'll see your sisters again soon. This is not the end." And with that, he swiftly turned away and walked off, disappearing within the crowd of beings.

"C'mon, we need to go," she heard Alvin say, and he placed his hand on the small of her back, beginning to push her forward. But before they could get far, Emrick reached over and grabbed Alvin's arm.

"It was a pleasure to see you again, Alvin," the pale being grinned with a grave look laced along his face. His black eyes glanced between the two pairs of blue eyes before him. "I hope that we'll be able to meet again in the future, with your star-friend alive and well. A lot of beings from this world are selfish and put themselves first before anybody else, but not you. So be careful, and remember that sometimes beings make mistakes." He then let go of Alvin, who simply nodded his head in farewell, and began leading Brittany away, guiding her through the crowd like she was some shopping cart.

The whole time as he guided her willing body through the crowd, Alvin murmured to Brittany to not look anyone in the eye and appear normal, to be careful of this, and watch out for that, don't touch this, we're almost to the exit, until finally they walked through what appeared to be a black hole that lead to an endless pathway of shadows, but actually lead them to standing back outside the large willow tree. Immediately, as if water had been poured over them, the night cool air flooded out the tension that surrounded them. They had made it safely outside, and now could continue with their journey.

As Brittany walked forward along the narrow pathway, Alvin's guiding hand seemed to have left her, and when she realized she was on her own, she came to a stop in the middle of the narrow pathway. Her eyes focused on watching a small firefly lightly touch the surface of the black waters that surrounded them while her brain notified her that within her chest that same horrible feeling remained resting on her organs. Never did she imagine that she'd be separated from her sisters along this journey, but now that it was happening…she wasn't sure what to think. All she knew was that she couldn't just leave without them—at least not without saying goodbye and knowing that they were okay.

When she heard Alvin sigh behind her, she gritted her teeth, preparing for him to speak.

"Brittany, we can't stay here forever."

It irritated her and she was about to snap…but when she thought of the look on Simon's face, and the words the brothers exchanged, she knew it wasn't fair for all of them. She just hated having to leave her sisters like this. It wasn't right. She took in a deep breath, letting it go before she continued walking. She could feel the coldness from the charm that rested against the center of her chest, and her hand went to touch where it rested.

By the time she made it to the outer pathway that circled the large willow tree, Alvin silently took lead, taking a pathway that almost seemed to be exactly opposite from the one they had originally arrived from, which led to Starless City. Brittany followed in pursuit, dragging her feet that now felt like there were heavy weights attached to them. She was falling behind, and he was now just a silhouette up ahead of her.

Eventually after about five minutes, he stopped. She stopped walking as well, daring to keep the distance. She dropped her gaze when she saw that he was coming over.

"We need to get away from here as fast as possible. These trails aren't safe to travel on at this time, and we don't want to run into trouble. Can you please keep up?" Alvin softly asked. She could sense that he was upset, and how he managed to contain it was beyond her knowledge, but because he asked nicer than she would've if it were her…she consented soundlessly and began walking ahead of him, pushing through the heavy weights she felt on her feet.

Brittany wasn't sure what time it was. All she knew was that it was past midnight, and that the energy she had used throughout the day was beginning to add up and take its toll on her. Hopefully they were fortunate enough to not run into any beings—she wasn't sure if she had it in her to run for the rest of the night.

Alvin then caught up with where she was, grabbing her shoulder and making her stop. She turned her head towards him, letting her neck fall limp to the side as her eyes bored into his.

"Get on my back," he sighed.

"Alvin…" Brittany groaned. She knew she was dead weight at the moment, but really, she could walk.

"Just get on my back."

She stared at him. The last thing she needed was to argue about this. So with much reluctance, she nodded her head and Alvin turned around. Hesitantly, she placed her hands on his firm shoulders, and taking in one deep breath, she jumped up onto his back and he grabbed her legs, getting her in a comfortable, secure position. As she wrapped her arms around his neck, careful to not let them go anywhere near his face or to hold too tightly on him, she couldn't help but wonder how many times he's had to do this with someone. She hoped she wasn't his first. She was far too old to have someone have to pick her up and carry her like this.

* * *

 ***updates 20 billion years later* ...not like I ever said I'd try and update better in the past. It's fine.**

 **I hope you all have had a great summer! :D And thank you guys for all of the support I've received, and special thanks to all of who have reviewed/favorited/followed. :) You all have been awesome and I'm sorry for the wait. I finally now have a lot more time, and this story is beginning to form a little better in my mind, so... ;)  
**

 **Thanks so much for reading! :)**


	21. Chapter 21

Brittany didn't remember ever falling asleep, but when she slowly came back to consciousness, the first thing she noticed was how warm she felt. It was a pleasant, relaxing kind of warm, one that hit her with nostalgia. It reminded her of the day she and her sisters decided to take a small vacation from their boring town about two years ago. They drove for probably about three hours, but the long trip was worth it once they arrived at their destination: the beach. It had been so long since they've been there, probably the first time ever since they moved, and it was nice to see brand new faces for a change. The familiar ones in their small town were becoming so natural to see, you could tell when something was different about them, whether it was a haircut or sudden change in style.

The beach they had visited seemed to fulfil every expectation they had, surprisingly. With the golden sun warming the glittering sand and baking their skin, everything seemed just about perfect. The ocean was a pretty turquoise, there were plenty of attractive strangers who stopped to flirt with them, and they even were given free drinks from the round beach bar.

Brittany remembered how the drinks were a house specialty, that it was non-alcoholic (mentioned due to Jeanette's hesitation and Eleanor's questioning eyes), and that it was something they had never tried before. Bright lime green, tasting fresh and tangy with its tiny square ice cubes—there was hardly anything dangerous or bad about it—it was simply the perfect summer drink. When they asked the bartender what it was they were drinking, he merely grinned, leaning over with an ease that reminded Brittany of a snake, and whispered it was his own secret recipe. She had made eye contact with him, noticing for the first time how odd his vibrant green eyes would blink. He seemed friendly enough, people knew him, and he didn't exactly give off what she would call "bad vibes;" so, every time she just so happened to look over and catch him staring, she told herself that it was all just a coincidence.

The bartender actually wound up knocking over her drink at some point. It spilled all over her—onto her legs, her forearms and hands. The sheer, lime green liquid seemed to slip right off her skin, but for the ice cubes, those did something strange. Where they touched her skin, they seemed to evaporate and sizzle, as if they were melting from her skin…but they were really burning her. She had immediately brushed them off, startled from the pain, and as an aftermath, she saw something on her skin where both the ice and green liquid touched her. It was faint, but she saw light marks beginning to reveal themselves, changing her skin like a mood ring slowly beginning to change colors, and they weren't just random lines decorating her skin—they were purposeful, as if there were a design to it—almost natural like a birthmark or scar. But then the bartender distracted her with a rag he was giving her, apologizing over and over again, saying he'll make her a new drink. She was surprisingly cordial about it and wiped herself down; upon looking back at her hands and legs, she saw her regular, unblemished skin.

It had to have been the way the light reflected off of her skin from the bright sand and glistening ocean waters. That's what she figured. Her sisters seemed to not have noticed her skin's weird reaction, and the bartender was too busy apologizing to probably notice anything. So she told herself her mind was simply playing tricks on her, carving out images the way you'd pick out a hand from dead tree branches, or a bunny among the clouds. But now, with everything she knew, as she thought about this random occurrence, she couldn't help but wonder…

Brittany slowly opened her eyes as the memory lingered in her mind, vaguely aware of where she was. She stared at her bare arms that hung loosely down before her with her left hand clasped over her right wrist. In the background, she took notice of the dry, dirt ground as it passed by, with each booted foot striding forward and disappearing behind the next step, and that's when it struck her—

Immediately she gasped and straightened up, bringing her hands up to place them on Alvin's shoulders, her heart pounding, however in the process, she managed to knock him under the jaw.

"Hey—!" Alvin started.

"Ohmygosh!" Brittany yelped, bringing her hands up to her mouth. As if waking up and discovering her overly close proximity to him wasn't bad enough. "I didn't mean that!—are you okay?"

Alvin sucked in a deep breath, heaving it out. "I'm fine," he grumbled. He had to have rolled his eyes when he said that.

Brittany's face soon shadowed over with a trace of remembrance. "Oh, I guess you are immortal," she recollected out loud. She didn't really feel that bad anymore—in fact, not at all. There probably wasn't anything she could do that could kill him, let alone, actually truly _hurt_ him. Would he even flinch if she even cut him with a knife? She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if someone were to cut out his heart…would he still live? Not that she wished for his death. She just found it impossible for someone to still live without a heart. But then again, "heartless" wasn't a term always used in a metaphorical way. What about if someone were to take out his brain? Could he still function?

"Yes…and please don't try anything stupid just to prove it," Alvin sighed, as if knowing her track of mind.

Brittany furrowed her brows, quickly recovering from his startling statement. She hoped he knew she was smarter than that to actually try anything. "What? There's nothing I can do against you—you _know_ that," she responded.

"Well, one can never be too sure," he muttered back. "I mean, you've got a knife."

"What?" she gawked. This was ridiculous. "Yeah, I've got a knife. One that I don't even know how to use…" She gave him a look that proved herself true, even though he wasn't looking at her to see it.

"That's bull," he quickly shot. "Anyone can use an ordinary knife, just like the one you have. You just need the will and strength to use it to draw blood—whether or not your mind is all there—and you've already done that."

Brittany opened her mouth, slowly closing it shut. _But I can't kill like you,_ she was about to say, but had thought better of it. She still wasn't sure how she felt about what he did yesterday...a day that felt a lifetime ago already. It was like a dream. But what he did had to have been for the better. Alvin and his brothers were smart, they knew what they were doing, and they've been doing it for years. Plus, they're supposed to be the guardians of this world. They're the superheroes no one knows about, and as far as she was aware of, superheroes weren't ruthless killers.

"But you know," she couldn't help but begin, "I'd never stab you with a knife."

He didn't say anything for a while.

When his silence began to fill in, slowly rising to her awareness, Brittany began to wonder if she said something wrong. Maybe she did. As if what she had said was supposed to mean anything to him—oh so _crucial_. She didn't know why she felt the need to even say it. He probably didn't give crap about anything she had to say—just save her life, get the job done, get her to this Seville-guy, and then he'd be gone. If she put up a fight, then he could handle it. Easy. One slice of a blade from her wouldn't affect him the same him hurting her would.

"It's almost funny," Alvin suddenly started softly, catching her attention, "how sure you sound of that."

At first she wasn't sure how to respond. She was surprised. But then he continued speaking.

"There aren't very many beings you can trust, even if they are your friends. Like Emrick said, a lot of beings are selfish. It's rare to find a reliability so whole." He sighed, like this was something he's experienced too many times. "Really, what I'm trying to say is that you should never let your guard down. Even around me. "

"But…" Brittany trailed off. Maybe she understood what he meant, and he was just trying to make a point, but he didn't have to go off and say that he could potentially turn his back on her. "So, are you saying that you don't trust me?" _Or that you don't want me to trust you?_ That seemed strange to say.

Alvin shrugged, glimpsing back at her. "Maybe. Maybe not."

She crossed her arms with a harrumph—again with the "mysteriousness"—suddenly realizing that there was no reason for her to be riding piggyback anymore. "You can set me down, now," she pointed out. He stopped walking, doing just as she said, stretching his arms and rolling his neck afterwards.

When Brittany came forward to stand beside Alvin, she finally took the time to observe their surroundings. They were no longer surrounded by willow trees; in fact, they weren't really surrounded by anything. It was all open land with a somewhat flat, grassy terrain with what looked like large boulders, some broken apart, others round and smooth, scattered throughout the area; even some intervened on the trail. Behind them, she could see Willow Groves quite a distance away, while off to their sides, miles and miles away, some jagged mountains, partly covered by white clouds, enclosed them in that large grassland. Up ahead of them, well…was simply _exhaustion_. The pathway they were walking on, wide enough for three people to walk side by side, seemed to go on _forever_ , curving in all directions, eventually disappearing to what Brittany was sure was going to be a steep hill.

She exhaled deeply as the despair from how much walking she would have to endure already settled in on her limbs. Just looking at it made her feel tired. If she had wings, maybe life would be easier. Or if she were as fit as Eleanor. She frowned, already hearing her little sister's voice telling her to stop complaining and start walking because this wasn't that bad. But it was, wasn't it? She now had no idea if her sisters were safe and sound, or if they were running for their lives. Pursing her lips, she looked over at Alvin, only to find him staring at her.

"What?" she snapped, trying to hide the leap her heart had at making sudden eye connection. She felt like she was back in high school, getting caught by her crush for staring at him, but instead of looking away immediately, because she was completely innocent and had actually been staring down at her hands this whole time, she held Alvin's sky blue eyes.

"Nothing," he said, turning his head to stare straight ahead at the pathway in the distance. "C'mon, we got a long ways to go."

"Right," Brittany muttered, following into step beside him.

It was nice how the weather wasn't overwhelmingly hot. There was a slight cool breeze in the air that rippled across the swaying grass, gently lifting Brittany's hair and rustling through Alvin's. From where they were, the sky above them was a clear blue, and according to the daylight, Brittany assumed it was now sometime in the early afternoon. When she took another scan of their surroundings, she couldn't help but feel like there was something empty about where they were. It seemed completely void of life, and there was something off about the scattered boulders. They were out of place, unnatural, almost as if they had just fallen out of the sky.

"So," Alvin breathed out. "About last night…"

Instantly Brittany's insides seemed to freeze up. _Oh no._ As much as she wanted to discuss what happened last night with him, she could only dread what was coming next. Considering what had happened, it was strange that she even managed to forget about it for a little bit. She had some major questions about things that were said last night, and she definitely didn't want to forget about each thing she wanted to cover with him—there was a _lot_ he had to explain to her, and she was pretty confident he knew at least _something_ for each topic she wanted to cover. Although she wasn't sure if shew as brave enough to approach the ones about him...

Alvin looked over at her, keeping a steady pace. "What exactly happened?" He spoke calmly, smoothly, and that seemed like a very bad sign to her. There was something so intimidating whenever you knew someone was upset with you, but managed to keep a level tone and well-composed expression as they closed in on you, backing you into a cage and ultimately locking you up with all their compressed anger that was bound to explode.

"I…" Brittany bit her lip. What was she supposed to say? She looked over at him, quickly averting her gaze. He was watching her carefully, and that wasn't making this any easier. She now _really_ wished she could sprout wings and fly away.

Alvin finally sighed. "Do you even understand what happened?" he asked.

"Look, I know I shouldn't have walked off," she said automatically, hoping he would have some mercy on her. _Remember to ask him those questions once this all settles,_ she reminded herself, because she knew if she got too distracted, she'd forget. If she picked her words right and didn't sound too pathetic, maybe this conversation would go better than expected and she'd have a comfortable freedom to ask him whatever she wished and get proper, decent answers. "I know I walked inside some creepy tent with an even creepier lady-being who spoke about my future, and that was clearly not"—she paused, hearing the strange being's voice echoing in her ears as the candles blew out, remembering the sudden pain she had felt in her wrist, as if something was biting her—"that was clearly not smart," she then finished, mumbling the last bit out. She was now beginning to realize how badly last night could've ended.

"Brittany, I know. But do you _understand_ what she did?" Alvin asked once again, this time more slowly and clearly, as if she was hard of hearing.

Brittany glanced over at him, suddenly feeling a small pump of irritation spread throughout her veins. ( _Don't forget about the questions you need to ask him,_ she chanted inside her head in the background of her thoughts.) Didn't she understand the situation? "Well…" She took a route down Memory Lane. She drank that strange tea, then the lady began to act weird, the candles began to go out, and then… She looked down at her wrist. Something painful happened. But the moment the candles came back to life, she had no actual evidence of the pain and blood she swore she felt. "I don't know," she admitted.

"This is why you can't go off on your own—why I told you to _stay put_ ," he said, his voice rising the slightest bit. "Do you know how different this situation could've been if it hadn't have been Eris that was the one doing this? You could've easily—"

"Wait, Eris?" she cut off. ( _The questions…don't forget…)_ "How do you know it was her?"

He stared straight ahead for a moment silently before carefully saying, "Eris has a _very_ distinguishable presence—"

"But what's she doing here? Is she following us? Why? How?" she cut off again. ( _The questions…)_ It almost made sense, but then again, it didn't at all. She tried to imagine the creepy lady, comparing it to the dark beauty she remembered seeing at the top of the stairs, but then suddenly having a flashback of Ms. Plumpridge, she slowly began to understand. "Right, Eris can possess dead bodies," she mumbled, mostly to herself. "She can tell the future, too, right?"

"Yes, but not in the way she was telling yours," he replied. "This is different." Alvin sighed heavily, his jaw setting tight.

"How?" Brittany asked. Despite the fact that she was barely keeping up, she wanted to know. If the problem dealt with her in any way, she had to know. Or else that blank space would slowly chew her up. "Alvin," she began, getting impatient. " _How?_ "

"It's an old ritual," he finally began to explain, sounding on the verge of exasperation. "It's called Malhaima, where the fortune teller gains a certain ground of trust from the being who's fortune is being told by offering a drink and having them drink it all, then they sing Death's Lullaby, then they betray the trust of the being by drawing blood and having it drip in the same cup the being drank out of, then they drink that blood, then they can tell you the bigger picture of events and trials to come. It's not too specific, but it is like an outline of your life."

"That doesn't sound…too bad," she tentatively commented. The fact that he had just defined all that had generally happened to her inside that tent, without his direct presence, only made what happened more real. There was actually a purpose to everything that had happened, and as strange as it was, it was almost comforting to her to know this. True, she wasn't completely aware of what the heck was going on, but it was all just to tell her future. ( _The questions. You forgot about them for a moment. Don't forget again.)_ Although it didn't have to be that horrifying, did it?

"Really?" Alvin said. "You don't think that's bad?"

"Well…" Brittany shrugged, already knowing that what she had said probably wasn't a good thing to say.

He sighed. "Brittany, let me give you a couple of rules that are commonly good to follow by in this world: First off, any place or activity where you can hear or begin hearing Death's Lullaby usually is a sign that what's going on is probably business you should stay clear of and immediately evacuate from. Secondly, any kind of incantation or ritual that deals with drawing blood typically links to malevolent purposes. Again, another thing you should try to avoid. Third—because I know rules one and two probably aren't good enough to keep you out of trouble— _never ever_ walk into a place you aren't familiar with or don't know what to expect from it."

"But…" she began, only to trail off when she noticed a slow change to Alvin's facial expression.

Then he suddenly snickered.

"What?" Brittany crossed her arms.

"Nothing," he responded, shaking his head.

"Nothing," she echoed.

"Nothing," he repeated back. "However, there is something you should be aware of..."

"And what's that?" Brittany cautiously inquired. _That next time I find myself in one of those situations to avoid, it'll be my fault if I get hurt?_ She could think of a million snarky responses he could give her. None of which came close to the actual words he spoke next.

"That there is a scale of lightness and darkness for everything here, and it's something you can feel, not quite like the way humans sense things. It's a lot stronger, and something that can become familiar to where you can identify what it is without even knowing or seeing it beforehand. Since you haven't truly been exposed to these opposites, your natural senses for this haven't quite woken up. It might take a while until you recognize these feelings, since you've been living in the human world for so long, unaware, but eventually…" he looked over at her, "…you'll know. All in good time."

Brittany was slowly nodding her head, making sense of his words, when his last sentence abruptly fished out the following words with a jerk: _Your time is running out._ And that's when everything—from last night to her actual life-threatening situation—came rushing over her like a giant ocean wave. She forgot _again_ about her wanting to ask him those questions about last night. But she wasn't sure if she could actually ask all of them…

She looked over at the guardian beside her, an image from the scene she had seen from the crystal ball flashing across her mind. She began to bite her lower lip. Was she missing something? She blinked when she realized what she was currently staring at. Slowly, almost afraid, she moved her eyes from Alvin's sharp jaw and looked up to see where his eyes were, only to find him staring back at her. Her heart leaped and she quickly looked away. _Nice,_ she complimented herself, completely forgetting about the questions she wanted to ask him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

She looked back over at him. "No."

"You sure? You looked…troubled," he said.

"Oh…" She fixed her eyes straight ahead. They still had quite a bit of ways to go. Upcoming on the trail was a large, partly crushed boulder, taking up half of the width of the pathway. "It's nothing," she said. "I was just…well…" She dropped her gaze down at her hands, then remembering about the pain she felt in her wrist. "When did you realize I was gone?"

"The second you walked off," he instantly replied.

"What?" Brittany looked over at him. "You knew?" Disbelief laced through her voice. "So why didn't you bother to stop me?"

"Because I knew you were near. I wasn't aware you had walked inside some tent," he answered.

 _Unbelievable._ "What made you come and find me?" she asked.

"The moment I knew you were in pain," he said, his voice lacking emotion, "and afraid." Brittany glanced over at him, barely remembering all the aspects that came along with this _stupid, jacked up_ bond—she hated how vulnerable it made her to him. It was entirely unfair, since it seemed one-sided. "You're lucky that this ritual works in that way, where the wounds made necessary to draw blood heal immediately once the cup is full. I'm not sure if we would've been able to heal you afterwards, considering my backpack was left back at that inn and there aren't very many healing plants in this particular area or where we're heading," he added.

"Oh." She peered back over at him, now realizing his lack of his backpack. She hardly noticed. "So, this ritual," she began. "I take it that it's bad then…?"

"Very bad," he concurred.

She sighed, and wanting to know a little more, then said, "All right, explain."

A few moments later, Brittany learned that this ritual—Malhaima—was actually banned. Well, as banned as it can get, meaning, many beings looked down on it. While it was very effective in telling the future, those who practiced this ritual always fell under a certain…transformation. Somehow, doing this ritual causes a kind of curse or sickness of some sort to occur, and eventually over time, whoever performed the ritual and continues to do it will begin to change and fall under command of this curse. Repetition eventually makes you become the creature you change into during this ritual, and at some point or another, it becomes too hard to simply open a wound and drain just one cup full of blood.

But what do you expect? You are singing Death's Lullaby and trying to gain something in a way that's not right. While it's not necessarily bad to sing Death's Lullaby (some beings have their superstitions about it)…

"…it's best not to, for various reasons…" Alvin trailed off, sighing heavily.

At this point, they were now approaching the crumpling, large boulder on the pathway. When Brittany looked over at Alvin, he motioned her over to take lead on the small portion of the pathway that wasn't blocked off by the boulder on his side of the pathway. When both of them were past the boulder, Brittany stopped walking, staring at another boulder up ahead, not too far away from where they stood. She then took extra notes on all the other boulders that still surrounded them in the grasslands that surrounded them.

"Does it rain rocks here or something?" she asked. "Or is this really that natural?"

Alvin seemed to ponder her question for a little as he gazed around, until a small grin cracked across his face. "Yeah, I guess you could put it that way…raining rocks…" he mused sarcastically. When she gave him a look, he rolled his eyes and continued forward. There obviously was a story to these boulders, but before she even got the chance to ask, he beat her to the chase with his own question: "How's your memory?"

Brittany had to close her open mouth. She wasn't sure how strange it was that she kept forgetting about this issue—the _main issue—_ at the moment. It almost seemed ironic. "I… Well…" She looked at Alvin, who had stopped walking and was now looking back at her with those same eyes that had looked at her so often with that hard, steady gaze of his.

For a while, a silence filled up the empty space around them. A cool breeze came flowing through this silence like a wandering ghost, and the moment it passed, Alvin released a heavy breath. "Brittany…" he urged on, crossing his arms.

Blinking, the eldest Miller sister stood dumbfounded. "Repeat the question again."

"Brittany, what's the latest memory you can remember from the past?" he asked, sounding a little worn out.

She thought his question over, slightly glad she was wearing him out since he was doing the same to her, trying to think back to the past. A part of her didn't understand his question, and another thought his question was ridiculous—like how in the world was she supposed to conjure up this latest memory when she wasn't even sure if that was possible?—either way, however, she thought back to…

Her mind came up blank.

It almost felt like there was never a time she was young...that she had been in her teens her whole life. It was confusing. How long has she lived for again? Was it really 19 years?

"Brittany." Alvin was now right in front of her. "Do you still remember anything about meeting some sirens when you were little?"

She was tempted to nod her head, just because that seemed like the right answer, but she realized her hesitation too late—

"Brittany, tell me about your childhood. Tell me about your life, things that happened, up until the moment we first met." This wasn't an option.

She exhaled through her mouth, trying to release all the stress that had suddenly erupted inside of her. "Alvin, I—well…" She fell quiet for a moment. _Just do what he asks,_ she told herself. _He's only concerned and doing this for your own good._ If her sisters had been here, she knew she probably wouldn't have easily gotten this ornery. She took in a deep breath before exhaling out, "I remember passing Bleidd's place for the very first time, thinking it was creepy…"

"And when was that?" he asked.

"I don't know…Maybe when I was fifteen? I was with some friends, and—"

"Do you remember anything before that?"

Brittany thought about it before shaking her head no. And that's when she began to feel panic again. She was fifteen years old four years ago. This Dreameater was catching up to her most recent memories, and it was doing it _fast._ She felt like she was a hopeless victim, running away from a speeding car: she had no chance or hope, unless the car magically just shut off and died, or something came and intervened to her benefit. Upon instinct, she looked to Alvin for help, and much to her discomfort, he looked seriously concerned. Did it really have to be that bad? When he held a facial expression like that…he made her feel like it was the end of the world. She was about to tell him just that, but he beat her again, saying, "We have to get going."

Nodding her head eagerly, Brittany followed behind Alvin's lead with a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach, asking, "How bad is it?" She frowned at how fast he was going, but didn't complain and did her best to keep up.

"Not good," he breathed out. "If anything, I'd say you have at most a week or so before you're…" He didn't look back at her, but she understood what he meant and nodded her head, even though he couldn't see it. "When nighttime comes, I'm carrying you. We have to keep moving," he then said, as if it were a sealed deal.

"Wait, what?" She stopped walking. "No!" Huffing, she picked up her pace so she was walking beside him, but he was still slightly ahead of her.

"Brittany…" he calmly said. "I'll be fine."

"But I..." she tried to argue, even though the reasons she had weren't ones she was going to ever share with him.

In the end, of course, it wasn't long until Brittany found herself reluctantly complying to get onto Alvin's back that night and the next few nights to follow. This first night, she did pause to argue, however remembering his words from earlier and seeing the small smirk on his face, she immediately clamped her mouth shut and got on his back.

 _"What is it that you're so nervous about?"_ he had asked. _"It's not that bad. Is it really over something you can't tell me? Do you secretly have a phobia of getting on people's backs or something?"_

 _You! Yes, it is! And yes, because it's about you!_ _—and no you idiot!_ she had shouted in her head. But instead, she had dumbly said, " _Well, I'm just concerned because...don't you need your rest, too?"_

He had molded his face into a smirk during the time she took to say those stupid words, and things just went downhill afterwards. He easily won the argument without losing too much time.

Of course, she really wasn't concerned about him getting enough sleep—she knew well enough already that he wasn't just some regular human being—really, she just didn't want to have to get on his back again, and what she said was the only excuse she was willing to give up to him. Whether it was because she thought it was embarrassing or because it made her too nervous, she wasn't certain, but all she knew was that the idea of getting on his back made her stomach drop a little, and she wasn't sure if she could actually stand being that close to him. But now that it had been at least 10 minutes since she's been on his back, she was beginning to realize that maybe she had been overreacting a little, and she was actually enjoying the ride. But just a little bit.

Brittany sighed, allowing her ice blue eyes to scan their surroundings in the dark setting; her legs felt relieved to not be walking again and just thinking about how much Alvin was walking made them sore. They had managed to walk a great distance through the rocky grasslands Alvin had said was called the Middle Plains and were now beginning to enter a pathway that lead up the mountain. Apparently they were heading towards a shortcut he knew of—something Brittany noticed he was hesitant about. But going this way was supposed to cut their traveling time in half, and it was "crucial," as Alvin had put it, that they didn't waste any time.

Glancing behind them, Brittany pursed her lips. There wasn't any greenery around them anymore, and everything was shaded in dull, dark colors of gray, black, and blue. She could hardly see that far back, let alone that far ahead either. Without Alvin, she would never dream of being in this sort of place at nighttime. If she looked to her right, she would see the edge of the trail which led to a drop-off that faded to blackness; if she looked to her left, she would see the jagged mountainside, falling apart into smaller pieces like a crumbling cake that was cut sloppily with a bad knife. To her left was where she let her eyes remain on as she listened to the soft crush of small stones beneath Alvin's feet. The air smelled clear with a hint of dustiness to it, and the night breeze was a little cooler than what would've been comfortable. Lucky for her, Alvin was a walking heater.

"It's quite the view, isn't it?" Alvin suddenly said in the silent darkness.

Brittany couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but she took it as so and responded dryly with: "Yeah, it's a real wonderland…"

"You better get used to it, because it's all you'll see for the next few days," he said.

"And if I don't?" she questioned, just to see what he would say.

"I'll make sure you don't go jumping off the cliff then."

Brittany frowned a little, eyeing what she could see of his face. He wasn't smiling or showing any hint that he was joking, and with the tone he used while saying that to her... She slowly rested her head on his left shoulder, and turning her face towards the mountainside, she muttered, "I...I think I'm just going to go to sleep now."

But for the next hour or so while she got lost in her thoughts thinking about him, his words, her sisters, his brothers, and what her eventual would be, she stared hazy-eyed at the frozen shapes the black cracks in the mountain wall created, finding sharp claws, piercing eyes, and jagged teeth to faces of monsters she's never seen before, not quite sure if the careful eyes to each cracking beast was actually following them as they passed by or not.

* * *

 **I really am awful at updating. Sheesh. Sorry for the wait. I've kind of been all over the place with this chapter, so it may not be all there like my mind is with this story at the moment, and it's not exciting or anything since it's a bit of a filler-chapter (and there's still so much I feel like I have to cover)...but hopefully the next chapter will be a little better. :P  
**

 **To the Guest reviewer that asked what version of the Chipettes this is based off of...well, whatever you're imagining, I guess? ;D I normally just write these characters as humans, so I'm not sure...**

 **Thank you so much for the reviews and all the support I've received! It really does help, and I appreciate all of you! :)  
And as always, thanks so much for reading! **


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